


Best If We Both Stay

by TragicLove



Series: Stay [3]
Category: Hanson (Band)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Drama & Romance, Eventual Minor Character Death, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Sequel, Starting Over
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-03-29 15:19:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 35,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19022575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TragicLove/pseuds/TragicLove
Summary: Zac and Sophia are finally getting things right...and Bailey is coming along for the ride and maybe finding what she's been looking for along the way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This verse has a very specific, niche following that seem to love these two crazy kids as much as I do, which I absolutely love, and I had promised at the end of [And This Time I'll Make You Stay](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18308168#main) that this story just wasn't over yet, and I'm coming through on that. 
> 
> This is quite different, it's a bit...erm, happier (for the most part) than my usual, but I'm having fun writing it, and I hope y'all like it too!
> 
> Slight warning off the bat to prevent anyone getting into anything they can't/don't want to...there will be a minor character death at some point in this story. It wont be one of the main characters, and it wont be detailed or drawn out, but it will be there. Just like with the sensitive topic in Stay, if you need a more detailed heads up on what it is, feel free to grab me on tumblr (tragic---love) and I'll more than gladly let you know.
> 
> This verse has lead to so many conversations with people and that's honestly what has pushed me to keep with it, so thank you, and as always, please let me know what you think whether that be here or on tumblr.
> 
> Title from Stay Stay Stay by Taylor Swift

**Sophia**

“Are we sure about this? Like, sure, sure?” Sophia looked across the couch at Bailey. They were sitting facing each other, their legs pulled up in front of them and crossed on the couch. It was close to three in the morning and the entire living room around them was stacked full with boxes of all shapes and sizes.

“Yeah, we’re sure,” Bailey yawned, stretching her legs out in front of her. “Why do you keep asking me? Are _you_ sure?”

“I’m sure,” Sophia nodded and then sighed. “Do you think this is stupid? Trying again? Am I crazy?”

“We can’t possibly have this conversation again,” Bailey rolled her eyes and stood up from the couch. She grabbed the two empty wineglasses off the coffee table and walked to the kitchen, putting them down at the edge of the sink. “Look, there is no turning back now. The house is closed on, we have to be out by the end of the week, and we have two UHaul trucks coming tomorrow to take all this shit. We’re going to live in Okla-fucking-homa, God, the things I do for love.”

Sophia laughed, getting up off the couch and walking into the kitchen with Bailey. She stopped, resting her head on her best friends shoulder.

“You really are the best friend in the world.”

“Yeah,” Bailey laughed, hugging Sophia. “I know.”

The door of Sophia’s room opened and both girls looked towards it, Sophia smiling.

“What’re you guys doing awake still, we have to get up in four hours,” Zac walked into the kitchen and pressed a kiss to Sophia’s forehead before moving to the fridge and taking out a bottle of water. His hair was going every which way and his eyes were heavy lidded from sleep, and Sophia was almost sure there were actual cartoon hearts coming out of her eyes.

“Sophia and I were just having the same conversation we’ve had every day for the past three months, thats all,” Bailey squeezed Sophia’s arm and then headed for the couch where she’d taken up residence for the last few weeks. “I’m going to bed, don’t keep me up with all your love making sounds.”

“We do not keep you up,” Sophia laughed, reaching for Zac’s hand and walking with him towards the bedroom.

“You’re right, it was only just that once,” Bailey grinned. “Stuck in my mind, I guess.”

“Goodnight, Bailey,” Zac laughed, closing the door behind them. Sophia tossed herself onto the bed and groaned, reaching out for Zac to join her. 

“I’m so tired,” she whined, rolling over onto her side and pulling Zac around her. “Never wake me up.”

“I hate to alert you of this, but I will be waking you up in,” he glanced over at the clock. “Exactly four hours and two minutes.”

“You hate me,” she yawned.

“No,” he laughed. “I love you and I can’t wait to get you to Tulsa.”

“Are you nervous? To have me there?”

“Not at all. I’m thrilled,” Zac yawned and Sophia laughed.

“It’s catchy, you know.”

“I know,” he buried his face in her hair and yawned again. “Go to sleep. Tomorrow we get to go home.”

“Home,” Sophia yawned, smiling to herself. “Finally.”

*******

**Bailey**

Bailey wasn’t an idiot. She knew exactly how hard it was going to be to get Sophia out of bed. She also knew that Sophia was going to be absolutely useless at helping load the moving trucks, which was exactly why she’d insisted that Zac force his brother to come to Atlanta with him and help them. What she did not expect, however, was for Taylor to show up at the house at quarter past seven in the morning, just as Bailey was returning from her morning run. She took the steps up to the house and he turned and smiled at her.

“You must be Bailey,” he smiled wider, holding his hand out for her to shake. “Taylor.”

“Hey, Taylor,” Bailey shook his hand and then winced. “Sorry for the sweaty palm, I was running.”

“I try to never do that,” Taylor grinned. “Anyway, I’ve been knocking and ringing the bell for ten minutes. Called them a few times each, too.”

“They sleep like the dead,” Bailey rolled her eyes, unlocking the door and stepping into the house. “Come on in, make yourself at home. I’ll get them up.”

Bailey kicked her sneakers off by the door and walked to the bedroom, throwing the door open.

“Alright, up and at ‘em!” She switched the light on and clapped her hands. “Our extra man power is here and it is time to get the hell out of dodge!”

“Oh my _god_ ,” Sophia groaned, rolling over and opening one eye, Zac’s arm thrown over her. “You are evil.”

“I’ll take it,” Bailey shrugged. “Get up! Up, up, up! Zachary!” She clapped a few more times, Zac groaning much like Sophia had. “Your brothers here, get up. I’d pull the blankets off the bed, but I don’t know whats going on under there. Let’s do this thing!”

“Is this what having you in my city is gonna be like?” Zac muttered, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“Yes, I’m moving to Tulsa to be Zac Hanson’s personal alarm clock,” Bailey crossed the rooms and opened the curtains, grinning when both Zac and Sophia winced at the light. “I’m going to give you five minutes, if you’re not both out of this bed, I’m dumping water on you.”

She turned to find Taylor leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, grinning. They both walked back into the living room, each of them sitting down on opposite ends of the couch.

“You handled that well,” he was still grinning.

“I’m used to their shenanigans,” Bailey shrugged. “Gotta use force, you know?” 

Taylor laughed and nodded, looking around the room. Bailey imagined he was taking inventory, calculating in his head exactly how hard of a day this was going to be.

“I’m surprised you were able to come,” Bailey said, looking at a stack of boxes across the room. “What with your army sized brood.”

“Zac didn’t tell you guys?” Taylor stood up and walked over to a pile of boxes, running his finger over the seam on the top one. “This isn’t taped well enough, it’s going to bust when we try to move it.”

“No, Zac didn’t tell us that,” Bailey hopped off the couch and walked to the kitchen. She grabbed the packing tape and came back into the living room, tossing it to Taylor.

“Funny,” Taylor responded, looking back at Bailey and smiling before getting to work on re-taping several boxes. “My army sized brood, as you so succinctly stated, and their mother are living across town with my former sister in law and her just slightly smaller army sized brood.”

“What?” Bailey said, shaking her head. “You’re…what, divorced?”

“Almost,” Taylor nodded. “Long time coming.”

“Huh,” Bailey said, sitting back down on the couch. “That’s two out of three of you, isn’t it? What odds.”

“Yeah, well,” Taylor shrugged. “It happens.”

“Yeah,” Bailey watched him finish taping a box and then toss the tape down on the coffee table. “I guess it does.

“Alright!” Bailey and Taylor both looked towards the bedroom door to see Zac coming out of it, dressed and ready to go, an absurd looking workout headband holding his hair back. “Let’s do this.”

 _Okla-fucking-homa_ thought Bailey. _Of all the places._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might notice that there was a - err - slight change in the number of chapters. My brain changed the game on me and this is officially the second to last chapter. The next and final one should be up soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**Sophia**

Sophia was standing on the porch watching Zac and Taylor load the trucks and smiling at the way Bailey was bossing them around, pretty much declaring herself job site manager. It was only after eight in the morning and already it was sweltering hot, the cotton shorts and tank top doing nothing to alleviate the asinine amount of heat running over Sophia’s body. She held her water bottle to her forehead, groaning when even that wasn’t cold enough to do much of anything. Bailey turned from her spot in the driveway, hand on her hip, and grinned up at Sophia.

“Hey, Princess, think you could get us some water?”

“Coming right up, Boss,” Sophia chuckled and walked back into the house. 

The inside of the house was nearly empty and the things that were left inside were all tucked into boxes, a few stray items here and there sitting on windowsills and the floor. Sophia had lived in this house her entire life, growing up there with her parents and then taking the house on after they’d died. She’d never called another place home and it was a bittersweet pang straight through her heart seeing it like this. 

When she looked around she could see memories of her and Zac all over the house. The post-it note on the coffee maker that used to sit on the kitchen counter, him lighting candles all over the place to save her mind when the power had gone out. The day he’d given her the divorce papers. She’d thought that day was the first day of the rest of their lives together, but nothing ever had been easy for them. 

She reminded herself that that was all over now. It was in the past. They were older and time had passed by, and they were making all of the heartbreak from the past amount to something now. They were doing things the way they should have done them from the beginning, and this time she couldn’t see anything that could possibly get in their way. 

She was just closing the fridge, four fresh bottles of water in her arms when she felt Zac put his arms around her from behind. He took two of the bottles of water and then kissed the side of her face.

“We’re pretty much done. We just need to get the rest of this stuff,” he kissed her again and then backed up. “Taylor is getting a lesson in Bailey 101. It’s been pretty funny.”

“Oh God, he doesn’t stand a chance,” Sophia laughed. 

“He’s taking it well, they seem to be getting along,” Zac smiled. “Thankfully, since they’re about to spend a really long time trapped in the front of a UHaul together.”

“If the truck shows up without Taylor, I don’t want to hear it. I’m not responsible,” Sophia laughed again and walked towards the door, opening it to see Bailey with both hands on her hips now, directing Taylor to move the boxes in a particular way to make them fit better.

“Alright, kids,” Sophia stepped up next to Bailey and handed her a water, handing the other one to Taylor. “Water break.”

“If we don’t stop we can be out of here in thirty minutes,” Bailey said, unscrewing the cap on her water and taking a sip. “Fuck, it’s so hot.”

“I hope these things have AC,” Taylor grumbled, wiping his forehead with the back of his arm. 

“Come on, pretty boy,” Bailey nudged him. “Don’t complain.”

Sophia watched as Taylor squared his eyes at Bailey and then smiled widely. He nudged her back and recapped his water, tossing it down into the grass off to the side of the driveway.

“Alright, let’s get out of here. Come on, Zac. We’ve gotta get the couch and whatever odds and ends are in there. Why don’t you guys get in one of the trucks, test out the AC. No need for us all to melt away here.”

Taylor moved to go back into the house, clapping Zac on the back on the way. The two of them disappeared inside and Bailey turned to Sophia.

“They don’t have to tell me twice,” she walked around one of the trucks and swung the door open, holding it out for Sophia to climb in. Once she did, Bailey climbed in beside her and slammed the door. “Fire it up.”

Sophia turned the key, the engine bursting to life.

“How am I supposed to drive this thing?” She groaned. “It’s huge.”

“Just make Zac do all the driving,” Bailey shrugged, opening her water again. “It’s his fault we’re doing this in the first place.”

Sophia laughed, leaning back in the seat and sighing.

“You didn’t have to come with me, Bay.”

“Of course I did,” Bailey slid over and rested her head on Sophia’s shoulder. “What’s the point of being in Atlanta without you? Plus, I’m obviously having no luck with love here, maybe I’ll find my Prince Charming in Tulsa.”

Sophia laughed and the passenger door opened, Taylor sticking his head in.

“We’re ready!” He smiled. “Zac’s waiting for you in the other truck.”

“Anyone have to pee?” Sophia asked, opening the drivers side door. Taylor and Bailey both declined and Sophia knew they’d be stopping in an hour or so when someone changed their mind. “Alright,” She slid out of the truck and smiled at Bailey. “Good luck, you too. Don’t kill each other. Thanks for doing this, Taylor.”

“Of course,” Taylor grinned, replacing Sophia in the drivers seat and cranking the AC. “If not, my brother was going to end up moving here and we have work to do.”

Sophia grabbed her purse off the porch and stepped inside the house. She looked around one last time and smiled, shutting the light off and pulling the door shut behind her. Decades of living in one space were coming to a close, and suddenly that was just fine with her.

When she got into the truck, Zac was messing with the radio controls, his eyebrows knitted together. He looked over at her and shook his head.

“Tell me you brought an auxiliary cable. None of the stations are coming through.”

Sophia ruffled around in her bag and pulled out her cord, holding it up in between them and smiling, “I got you.”

“Don’t you always,” Zac grinned, taking the cord and plugging it into the stereo and hooking his phone up to it.

*******

**Bailey**

“You ready for a pit stop yet?” Taylor turned to Bailey and smiled. He was leaning back in the drivers seat, one arm stretched out to the steering wheel, his t-shirt sleeve pushed up over his shoulder.

“I could stop,” Bailey shrugged. “Or I could keep going. Why don’t we call them and see what they want to do?”

They were somewhere around Tupelo, the ride so far was pleasant, Bailey and Taylor sharing small talk about the weather in Tulsa, good places to look for jobs, the neighborhood he grew up in. Bailey found herself very aware of every move Taylor was making, the way the breeze coming in the rolled down truck window was making his hair blow just slightly off of the top of his head. It was just the results of being in closed quarters with someone who’s band she had spent the better part of her life loving, she told herself, it was nothing more than that. She was used to Zac, she was accustomed to riding the wave of loving and hating him for the way he made her best friend feel…she wasn’t so used to being around Taylor, who at age 13 personified the perfect male specimen to her. She’d get used to him eventually, when she started to see him more like a real person and less like the boy she ripped posters of out of teeny bopper magazines to tape all over her bedroom walls. 

Taylor grabbed his phone out of the center console and told it to call Zac. He told them to pull off at the next rest stop and then hung up, turning up the radio when an old The Who song came on.

“I love this song,” he smiled over at Bailey, tapping his fingertips on the steering wheel along with the music.

“You and Zac are into the same music, huh?”

“Yeah. Ike, too. Though, sometimes his taste range is more…erm…teenage girl pop,” Taylor chuckled, rolling the window up slightly, assuringly to stop his hair from doing the dance it was doing.

“I mean, mine too,” Bailey shrugged and then they both laughed, Taylor clapping the steering wheel when the directional on Sophia and Zac’s truck in front of theirs started blinking.

“Yes! I need a coffee so bad.”

“I could use one too,” Bailey leaned back in her seat and stretched her legs out as much as she could. She kept her eyes on the windshield as they pulled off the highway and into a large rest stop. 

“Starbucks, sweet,” Taylor said, pulling the truck into a spot next to Sophia and Zac’s. He turned to Bailey and smiled. “How do you take your coffee?”

He hopped out of the truck before she answered and she found herself sitting in her seat for a second, watching him prance around the hood and towards Zac with a look of amusement on her face. Her door was pulled open and she looked down to see Sophia standing there.

“What’re you, waiting for an invitation?”

“What’s up with him?” Bailey asked, hopping down from the truck, her eyes on Taylor’s back. “It’s like his brain moves and he has a problem keeping up with it.”

“Taylor?” Sophia laughed. “Why?”

“He asked me how I take my coffee and then just…flitted away,” Bailey looked over at Sophia as they walked into the rest stop. They both laughed and Bailey shook her head. “What are you getting me into?”

“A whole new world,” Sophia grinned, wagging her fingers in front of her face. “Just wait til you see the rest of the family.”

“Good God,” Bailey sighed.

Zac and Taylor were back in front of them, each of them holding two drinks.

“How’d you know how I take it?” Bailey grinned at Taylor and then thanked him.

“Zac knew,” Taylor shrugged.

Bailey watched as Zac slid his arm around Sophia, Sophia’s head finding a spot on his shoulder. She couldn’t help but smile to herself, watching the two of them murmuring to each other about something as if they were the only two people in the busy rest stop. 

There wasn’t anything Bailey could think of that she wanted more than to see her best friend get everything she had ever wanted - everything she deserved, and she felt the hope blossom inside of her that now that it was happening, maybe it would be her turn, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing has changed, I have no chill, so I figured I'd throw another chapter up.
> 
> Thanks to those who left comments and messaged me after the last one, keep 'em coming! ;) <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Sophia**

The eleven hour drive was rounding out of its thirteenth hour when Zac reached out and squeezed Sophia’s knee. When she turned to look at him she smiled at the smile he was giving her.

“Almost there. Like, ten minutes.”

“Thank God,” she yawned. It was dark out now and the only thing she wanted to do was collapse into a bed - any bed - and shut her eyes.

“You sure you don’t want to call your landlord and tell him you’ve changed your mind and you’re going to live with me after all?”

“No,” Sophia laughed, shaking her head. “You know what we said. One year. If we can get through one year living in the same place and no curve balls come out and no one winds up pregnant with your baby,” she lifted an eyebrow at him, but grinned. “And we still like each other, then we’ll find a house. Together.”

“I know, I know,” Zac shook his head. “But, what if it’s you who ends up pregnant?” He wiggled his eyebrows and Sophia shoved his hand away, laughing.

“No. Not me either. No more babies for now, Mr. Fertile.”

“Alright, alright,” he said, pulling off the highway. “But one year from today, all bets are off.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Sophia rolled her eyes, leaning back in her seat. “We’re old and crotchety now, we’re not going to want any babies in a year. 

“Speak for yourself,” Zac puffed his chest out, one arm stretched out, his hand wrapped around the steering wheel. “I am young and full of spunk.”

“Remind me why I love you again?” Sophia lightly punched his arm and shook her head. “Oh, thank God,” she sighed as Zac turned the truck onto the absurdly long road that lead to his house. 

“Another long day tomorrow,” he reached over and covered her hand with his. “Getting you two settled in your place, grocery shopping, all the perks of being an adult and moving.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“Worth it?”

Sophia looked over at him, ready to come back with something sassy and slightly rude, but when she saw the way he was looking over at her, smiling this soft smile before he looked back out at the road, she just nodded.

“Definitely.”

**Bailey**

“Is your brother a serial killer?” Bailey looked across the center console of the truck at Taylor as he shut the engine off in Zac’s driveway.

“What?” Taylor laughed, looking at her. “Not that I know of?”

“I just…” Bailey looked out the windshield at the house and surrounding property. If she didn’t know any better she’d think they were in the actual woods, not in a residential area. “No one would hear you scream out here.”

“Zac likes his solitude when he can get it,” Taylor laughed again, swinging his door open. “Come on, we’ve been in this thing long enough.”

They hopped out of the truck and walked up to the porch where Zac and Sophia were standing, Zac sorting through the keys on his keyring.

“Bailey wants to know if you’re a serial killer,” Taylor said once they reached the top step.

Zac and Sophia both turned to Bailey, Zac snorting and Sophia shaking her head.

“Not yet,” Zac shrugged, turning back to the keys and unlocking the door.

“Uh, maybe I’ve changed my mind about this,” Sophia laughed, widening her eyes at Bailey and then turning to Zac and smiling.

“Too late,” Bailey said. “I’m not getting back in that truck.”

 

 

“Where did they go?” Sophia topped off Bailey’s wine glass and then her own. They were sitting on the couch in Zac’s living room, staring at the fire he had insisted on starting before him and Taylor had vanished somewhere.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Bailey tipped her glass to her mouth and then leaned back against the couch. “All I care about right now is this wine.”

“How was the drive?”

“You know, it was a drive,” Bailey shrugged. “Wasn’t too bad, honestly. He’s fun.”

“Is he?” Sophia shrugged. “Never did get to spend too much time with him.”

“So did you forget to tell me that he’s getting divorced?”

“Oh,” Sophia took a sip and then shrugged again. “Yeah, I guess they just decided they’d tried enough. I haven’t thought about it, really.”

“Haven’t thought about it? Don’t you think it’s like…a big deal?”

“Why?” Sophia raised an eyebrow, taking another sip. “You interested?”

“What?” Bailey shook her head, feeling her cheeks heat up just a tad. “Me? In him? Oh, no. I’ve seen what those Hanson boys are capable of.”

“Hey,” Sophia laughed. “They’re not all bad.”

“You’re happy, right Sophie?” 

“Yeah,” Sophia nodded, smiling. “For the first time in…ever, I really am.”

Bailey looked her best friend over and made the educated decision that she was telling the complete truth. There was still a huge part of her that wanted to tell Sophia that after all her and Zac had been through, she didn’t see much hope for a successful future without even at least a little more heartbreak, but if there was one thing that Bailey had learned throughout this whole Zac and Sophia ordeal, it was that the more reasons you give them for being apart, the harder they’d fight to just be together. For once, Bailey wanted to see them do it without any road blocks or hurdles, she’d up and moved states just to see it happen, she didn’t want to participate in feeding into any disaster. 

“How you ladies doing in here?”

Bailey looked over at the doorway and smiled at Taylor, who was walking into the living room, barefoot, a white t-shirt paired with ridiculously tight jeans, beer in hand.

“We thought Zac serial killed you,” Bailey said, looking back towards the fire. “We were considering being alarmed, but,” she shrugged as he sat down on the floor halfway between her and Sophia and leaned against the couch. “We figured it could wait.”

“Wow,” Taylor turned his head back to look up at Bailey. “Your concern for me is startling.”

“You know,” Bailey shrugged, tipping her glass to her mouth. “That’s me.”

“What’re we doing?” Zac’s voice shook Bailey away from Taylor as he lowered himself to the ground next to Taylor, his head instantly resting in Sophia’s lap.

“Just discussing your murdering habits,” Bailey smiled sweetly at Zac, who rolled his eyes, but smiled at her.

“I promise you I wont murder any of you,” he said, his voice going flat. “Unless you really deserve it.”

“Hey,” Sophia laughed. “Not me.”

“No,” Zac grabbed her hand and kissed the top of it. “Never you.”

“On that note,” Bailey leaned forward and placed her glass down on the coffee table. “Before I vomit on the floor, I think I’ll see myself to bed.”

“Me too,” Taylor nodded once and pushed himself to his feet. “I’ll walk you?”

“How would I ever find my way otherwise?”

Taylor puffed himself up and hooked his arm out for Bailey to take, “madam,” he said, smiling when Sophia and Zac snorted in unison.

Bailey slid her arm through Taylor’s and let him lead her up the stairs and down the hallway towards their rooms on opposite sides of the hall from one another.

“If you’re really scared about Zac and his potential to murder, I’m just across the hall,” Taylor grinned, dropping his arm.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Bailey smiled, stepping into what was her room for the night.

“It was fun,” he said, moving into his own room. “Driving with you. I’m looking forward to hanging out some more…now that you guys are here.”

“Yeah,” Bailey nodded. “Me too.”

“Night, Bailey,” he smiled again, moving further into his room.

“Night,” she echoed, closing her door slowly and walking towards the bathroom. 

She looked in the mirror and rolled her eyes at the blush that was spread across her cheeks. He was just a cute guy and she was lonely, there was no way in _hell_ she was going to allow herself to grow a crush on Taylor Hanson.


	4. Chapter 4

**Bailey**

Bailey sat down on the couch, leaning back against the cushion and putting her feet up on the coffee table. She hadn’t been alone longer than to sleep or shower in days and it was finally blissfully quiet around her. They’d gotten all of their things moved in to their rental house, stocked the fridge and pantry, and finally Sophia and Zac were off somewhere doing whatever it was Sophia and Zac did together, and it was glorious.

She knew her rest and relaxation would be short lived due to the fact that she was going to need to get out there and find a job sooner rather than later. Zac and Taylor had offered both her and Sophia jobs at the label, but neither of them took them up on the offer. It seemed a bit too much like mixing business and pleasure to Sophia and Bailey wasn’t fond of the idea of Zac Hanson being her boss. 

But, all of that could wait, because Bailey was in desperate need of some trashy reality TV to dull her mind while she had the house all to herself. She grabbed the remote and was peacefully flipping through the channels when someone rapped their knuckles against the front door.

“Gotta be kidding me,” she mumbled, tossing the remote down next to her and getting up. She moved to the door and looked through the peep hole, seeing Taylor on the other side of the door. “For fucks sake,” she breathed and pulled the door open. “We’re not buying and we’re not interested in accepting Jesus Christ as our personal lord and savior.”

“Very funny,” Taylor grinned. “Zac here?”

“No,” Bailey said flatly. “No one was here, just me, but now you’re here, and I’m not sitting on the couch watching Keeping up with the Kardashians,” she made a face, tapping her fingers on the door. “Because, like I said, now _you’re_ here.”

“The Kardashians?” Taylor crinkled up his forehead. “Seriously?”

“Look, sometimes a girl just really needs some brainless entertainment,” Bailey shrugged. “Anyway, I don’t know where Zac is. Off with Sophia somewhere being all gross and in love, I guess.”

“They are kind of gross, huh?” Taylor laughed. “I’ve never seen him the way he is with her, it’s weird.”

“Yeah, well,” Bailey shrugged again. “I guess they waited long enough, they deserve to be that level of happy that makes everyone around them sick inside.”

“You think I can come in and use the bathroom?” He asked in between laughs. “I’ve been running errands and I have a thing about retail store bathrooms.”

“Seriously?” Bailey scoffed, moving aside so he could come in. “You’d think with all the traveling you do you’d be able to pee anywhere.”

“Yeah well, I’ve seen some nasty bathrooms around the world, you start to grow an aversion.”

Bailey swung the door shut and walked back to the couch. “Just make sure you put the toilet seat down!” She shouted at the now closed bathroom door and then sat back down, picking up the remote. 

The reality TV selection was grim and she was just settling on an old rerun of The Brady Bunch when Taylor appeared next to her.

“Zac texted while I was in there,” he said, shoving his phone in his pocket. “Mind if I wait here with you? He said they’ll be back soon.”

“Do you have to?” Bailey looked up at him and then smiled. “I’m kidding, of course. Sit down. Do you like The Brady Bunch? Of course you do, who doesn’t?”

“Only heathens and morons, obviously,” Taylor grinned, sitting down next to her. 

She grinned at him and turned back to the TV. They didn’t talk, just laughed quietly along in all the right places, and Bailey realized that she didn’t really mind having him there with her during her alone time, on the contrary, she was rather enjoying his company. 

When two episodes of The Brady Bunch had gone by, Taylor sighed and took out his phone, lighting up the screen before turning it back off and shaking his head.

“I guess soon means whenever they feel like it.”

“Your brother probably saw a squirrel and went chasing after it or something,” Bailey rolled her eyes, but looked over at him and smiled. 

“You’re probably right,” Taylor chuckled. “If you want to kick me out, feel free.”

“Nah, you can stay,” Bailey shrugged. “It’s not like I’m doing anything.”

“Speaking of,” Taylor sat up. “Do you want to go get a drink or something this weekend? We’ve been spending a lot of time together but I feel like I don’t really know you.”

Bailey blinked, her stomach coming alive with butterflies. She wanted to roll her eyes at herself, but didn’t want Taylor to think she was rolling her eyes at him, so she tried her best to wave the stupid things away without actually moving.

“A drink?” She repeated, and then the door opened, Zac and Sophia walking into the house laughing and nudging each other about something that they obviously found hilarious. Sophia walked off to the bathroom and Zac walked further into the house

“About time,” Taylor said, standing up. “We have shit to do.”

“Don’t we always?” Zac smiled, tossing a plastic bag down on the kitchen table. 

“Yeah, but…we really _do_ have shit to do. We have a deadli-”

“Shhhhhhh,” Zac held his finger in front of his lips dramatically and shook his head. “It’s fine, Taylor. We’ll get it done. I was shopping with my lady, if that’s okay with you.”

“Shopping with your… _who are you_?”

Bailey snorted beside Taylor and Sophia came back into the room and rolled her eyes, plopping down on the couch next to Bailey.

“I think we went into every store in Tulsa,” she stretched her legs out onto the coffee table and leaned back. “Barely even bought anything. I’m exhausted.”

“I hope you didn’t tire him out too much,” Taylor stood up and walked towards Zac, clapping him on the shoulder. “We really should go.”

“Alright, alright,” Zac said, walking over and kissing Sophia on the forehead and murmuring a goodbye and then mussing up Bailey’s hair. “Don’t miss me too much.”

“How can I miss you if you never go away?” Bailey called at his back, and he just turned and grinned at her. He walked out the door, Taylor following.

“Oh, Bailey,” he said, turning back to her. “How’s Friday night sound? Around 8? For that drink.”

“Yeah,” Bailey nodded. “Sounds great.”

Taylor smiled and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

*******

**Sophia**

“A drink?” Sophia repeated, one eyebrow high on her head. Bailey turned to her and sighed.

“Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“A big deal? Who said anything about a big deal?” Sophia asked, still staring at Bailey, waiting for an explanation. 

“Your face says big deal,” Bailey pursed her lips and then shook her head. “We’re just going to go grab a drink, get to know each other. Since you know, I’m stuck in this one horse town and he’s the only person outside of you and your boyfriend that I know.”

“I see,” Sophia said, drawing out the end of the word. “Well, I think it’s adorable.”

“Adorable…shut up,” Bailey laughed. “I told you already, I’m not into him. There is _no way_ I’m going to be into him.”

“No? Then why are you blushing?”

“Oh my God,” Bailey groaned, leaning back on the couch. “You’re the worst. You’re all the worst.”

Sophia laughed, snatching up the remote and leaning back, nudging Bailey.

“It’s okay, Bay. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted a piece of that.”

Sophia shrieked when Bailey picked up a throw pillow and swatted her with it, the two of them falling into a fit of laughter.

—

Sophia was sure that she had gone to bed alone, but the fingertips trailing over her side were telling her otherwise. She opened one eye and then the other and then smiled, wrapping her arms around Zac and rolling, pulling him on top of her.

“What are you doing here?” She whispered. “What time is it?”

“It’s,” he turned his head and looked at the cable box. “Three in the morning, and what I’m doing here,” he kissed her quickly. “Is hopefully you, but if not that’s fine too. I missed you.”

“You’re out of your mind,” she laughed, pulling his face down and kissing him again. “It’s so late, why aren’t you sleeping?”

“We just finished up in the studio and I’m on a bit of a high, didn’t want to go home.” He wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over so she was on top of him, moving her hair out of his face. “You left your door unlocked, by the way. You shouldn’t do that.”

“In case someone wanted to come murder me?” She asked, moving her body to get more comfortable and then lifting her eyebrows. “Someone is excited to see me.”

Zac shrugged, smiling up at her. “Very. I wont apologize for that.”

“I think your brother is trying to hookup with Bailey,” Sophia settled down on top of Zac, running her fingers through his hair.

“Well, I could have seen that coming,” he said. “But…do you really want to talk about them right now?”

Sophia looked at him for a second and then laughed, shaking her head. “No.”

“That’s what I thought,” he laughed, leaning up and kissing her. “I’m so happy you’re here,” he said between kisses. “In case I haven’t told you enough.”

“No such thing as enough,” she smiled against his lips. “Now, do what you came here to do, Hanson.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Zac**

“Thank God that’s over,” Zac closed the front door of the studio and shoved the key in, making sure it was locked. He pulled on the handle, satisfied that the door was secure and then turned to Taylor. “Isaac was in a mood today.”

“Yeah, Isaac’s been in a lot of moods lately, any idea what’s going on there?”

“Nah,” Zac shrugged. “You know he keeps his shit to himself.”

“I hope there’s no trouble in paradise. That’s the last thing we need, a third divorce. Mom’s heads already exploding about the two of us.”

“Mom can and will get over it,” Zac grinned. “Plus, I think she likes Sophia. She said anything to you about it?”

“No,” Taylor shook his head. They started walking down the block to where Zac’s truck was parked. “And you know she would…if she had a problem.”

“You’re not wrong,” Zac replied, clicking the button on his key fob to unlock the doors once they reached the truck. “You wanna get something to eat? I’m starving.”

“And take more precious time away from you being surgically attached to Sophia’s side? I am shocked,” Taylor brought a hand to his chest and then grinned, opening the truck door and hopping in. “Alright, but I don’t want tacos.”

Zac shook his head and started the truck, pulling out onto the street and navigating to the highway. 

“I’m going out for drinks with Bailey tonight,” Taylor reached forward and turned the radio down. “Do you think I should buy her dinner? What is the protocol for going out for drinks? I haven’t gone on a non-married date in so long, I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“A date?” Zac looked over at Taylor. “Does she know it’s a date?” He shook his head. “A _date_?”

“Okay, that was poor wording. A hang? A…drinks between friends? Who happen to be opposite genders and single? And-”

“Are you okay?” Zac laughed. “Dude, you’re nervous.”

“I know,” Taylor sighed. “I don’t know why. She seems like a cool girl, I just wanted to get to know her better, become friends, you know? Since she’s here and all.”

“She is cool, you know…now that she doesn’t want to stab me,” Zac chuckled and pulled off the highway, turning onto the main road.

“Where are we going anyway?” 

“Pizza,” Zac said, pulling into a parking lot. “Sophia is already there.”

“Of course she is,” Taylor laughed, shaking his head. “Can you two like…just not bare to be apart? You’d think you’ve been together a little too long to be all…teenagey.”

“Teenagey?” Zac grinned, pulling into a spot. “That’s not a word, also I just got her back, let me enjoy it.”

Taylor opened his door and got out, following Zac towards the pizza place. 

“I know, I’m really happy for you, you know.”

Zac grinned and pulled the door of the restaurant open, letting Taylor walk in before him.

“Good, cause nothing is fucking this up this time,” he looked across the room and saw Sophia sitting in a booth, a large pizza already on the table in front of her and he couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face.

*******

**Sophia**

“Took you guys long enough,” Sophia smiled up at the guys, Zac sliding into the booth next to her and Taylor doing the same across from them.

“Are you aware that my brother has plans to go out with your best friend tonight?” Zac leaned over and kissed Sophia on the cheek and then dragged two slices of pizza onto a plate. 

“I am,” Sophia grinned. “She swears it’s not a date.” She looked over at Taylor. “Is it a date, Taylor?”

“It’s not a date,” Taylor said, grabbing his own slice. 

“Then why weren’t we invited?” Zac said around a mouthful of pizza, Sophia shooting him a disgusted look.

“I can’t just get to know the girl? Jeez, sorry guys, I’ll check with you before I make friends from now on,” Taylor held his hands up in mock surrender. 

“Speaking of dating,” Zac said, polishing off his second slice. Sophia often found herself wondering if he even chewed, or if he just vacuumed the food down his throat. “You thinking about doing that soon? You’re not getting any younger, you know.”

“Thanks,” Taylor scoffed, taking a bit of his pizza and chewing before answering. “I don’t know. The divorce isn’t even really final yet. I mean, I know it’s final in the real world…we both respect each other way too much to make each other waste any more years trying to make something that’s never going to work, work. But, it just feels…disrespectful, you know?”

“Nat’s a great woman and I happen to know that she wants you to move on and be happy.”

“Oh, do you?” Taylor finished his pizza and pushed the plate away.

“Yeah, I guess her and Kate had a big talk about it, Kate told me, Zac shrugged. Sophia looked over at Zac, a confused look forming on her face. She wasn’t aware that the two of them were having big talks, she wasn’t really aware they were talking too much at all outside of discussing matters of the kids. She knew it was immature, but it made a bouquet of envy bloom inside of her chest.

“When did you talk to Kate?” She asked quietly, making sure her voice came out light and not accusing.

“When I dropped off the kids. Natalie had just left, I guess she was telling Kate about how even though she wasn’t ready to date, she was hoping that Taylor would. Something about knowing how co-dependent he is,” Zac looked over at Taylor and smirked. “She’s not wrong.”

“Oh,” Sophia forced a smile on her face. “Gotcha.” 

It wasn’t jealousy. Sophia didn’t really have a name to put on the feeling she was suddenly saddled with. She knew that, probably for the rest of their lives, Zac and Kate would have a connection, and more than a couple of reasons to talk, she’d just not yet really thought about it all that much. She knew, realistically that Kate would be a big part of their lives for years to come, and she’d thought she’d gotten herself settled in that, but apparently she’d thought wrong.

If Zac noticed anything amiss with her demeanor, he didn’t let on, and they finished off their pizza, chatting about the day they’d had at the studio, the hopes they had for this album, and a bunch of other things that Sophia couldn’t even keep in her head. They’d parted ways in the parking lot, Zac promising to see her later, both of them wishing Taylor good luck with Bailey later.

Sophia walked into the house, rolling her eyes at the loud sounds of Hanson coming from behind Bailey’s closed bedroom door. She walked over, pushing it open.

“Seriously?” She leaned against the door frame. “You listen to Taylor to prepare for your date with Taylor?”

“It is _not_ a date,” Bailey turned to her, reaching over and turning the radio down. “Is this outfit okay?”

Sophia laughed, scrunching up her nose. “Why wont you two just admit that you have the hots for each other?”

“The hots, Sophia? Really?” Bailey turned and looked back into the mirror, fussing with her hair and straightening out her shirt.

“I mean, it’s true,” Sophia shrugged. “I think it’s great. Taylor needs someone like you.”

“Does he?” Bailey leaned in and wiped at her lips, cleaning up her lipstick that didn’t need any cleaning up.

“Sure,” Sophia said. “So is he picking you up?”

“Yeah,” Bailey said, looking down at her watch. “In like five minutes. Shit, seriously Sophia, does this outfit look okay?”

“You look great,” Sophia nodded, walking towards her. She leaned in and mock whispered in her ear. “Don’t forget, always use protection.”

“Oh my God,” Bailey groaned and then a light tapping at the bedroom door made them both turn around.

“Door was open,” Taylor smiled into the room. “You ready Bailey?”

“Yeah,” Bailey nodded, looking back at Sophia and making a face at her. “I’ll be home later.”

“I’ll be waiting on pins and needles,” Sophia smiled and then waved them out of the room. “Go, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” They walked to the front door and Sophia blew air kisses to them as they walked out. “Don’t keep her out too late!” She shouted to their backs, Bailey holding one hand up and chucking her the bird.

She laughed, shutting the door and retreating back into the house. Silence sounded like exactly what she needed.

*******

**Bailey**

Her palms weren’t sweating and she didn’t have butterflies in her stomach and she _absolutely_ was not struck by how stupidly beautiful Taylor looked sitting across from her on the patio of the outdoor bar they were sitting at.

It was all just the effect of the three margaritas she’d drank, and the fourth that she was working on. It had nothing to do with him and his _ridiculously_ blue eyes or the way he never took the off of hers for a single second while they talked. 

She didn’t like him, not like that. She couldn’t and she absolutely wouldn’t. He was Zac’s brother, he’d probably be Sophia’s brother-in-law sooner rather than later, and what kind of incestuous circle would that be? No, there was no way in _hell_ that Bailey liked Taylor Hanson, not now and not ever.

“You still in there?” Taylor’s laughter shook Bailey out of her thoughts and she smiled, nodding her head.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Thought I lost you for a second,” he smiled, reaching across the table and grabbing Bailey’s margarita glass, his fingers brushing hers on the way back. “I have to try this, you seem to be enjoying them.”

Bailey laughed quietly and waved him on. “Go ahead, all yours.” He took a long sip and then slid the glass back over to her.

“You’re right to drink these down, they’re delicious.”

“Right? Can’t even taste the tequila.”

“Always a plus,” Taylor laughed, leaning his elbows on the table. “So, what’s your story? Why are you single?”

“I don’t know,” Bailey shrugged. “Just never really found anyone who interested me enough, I guess.”

“Hard nut to crack?”

“Maybe a little,” she laughed, shaking her head. “What about you, what are you looking for?”

“I don’t know,” Taylor’s shrug matched Bailey’s. “I haven’t dated in…so many years I think I’ve lost count,” he laughed quietly. “I have no idea whats out there or what I want out of somebody.”

“So, is Natalie like, the only girl you’ve ever been with?” Bailey took a sip of her drink and leaned back, holding her glass.

“No,” he shook his head. “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors…you know, about my infidelity. They definitely weren’t all true, in fact 99 percent of them were absolute bullshit, but I’ve made my mistakes.”

“You Hanson boys don’t know how to keep it in your pants, huh?” She’d meant for it to sound lighthearted, but it came out slightly accusatory. She’d moved on from the things Zac had done to and with Sophia, she was sure she had, but from time to time they came back and stung her and she felt anger like nothing she’d ever felt before. She shook it off and put a small smile on, not wanting Taylor to think she was judging him.

“Zac fell in love with Sophia,” Taylor shrugged. “I just had sex with someone else. It’s a little different, I know it doesn’t sound it…but it is.”

She nodded a little, taking another sip. “No, I get it. I knew they’d never stay away from each other. Even this last time, it lasted the longest, and then look, they crashed back together even harder. Now we live in the old country and they’ll probably get married and I’ll live in the house with my ten cats.”

“I highly doubt that,” Taylor laughed out. “And this is not the old country, look around you. This city is great.”

“You’re biased, but it’s okay,” she smiled. “I’m sure I’ll grow to love it. If I can ever find a job.”

“I’m telling you, come work at the studio. We could use some…organizational help.”

“I don’t know, Taylor, it all seems a little…close, you know? Don’t we all spend enough time together?”

“Honestly, you probably wouldn’t even see us too much. When we’re there we’re pretty busy and you’d work during the day for the most part, and we really do most of our work at night, we’d probably end up spending less time together.”

_Well, I don’t really like that idea, either,_ she thought and then shook it off. Damn tequila.

“Can you guys even afford to pay me?”

“Wow,” Taylor widened his eyes in mock shock. “Very rude, Bailey. Very rude.”

“You know what I mean,” she laughed, protesting. “I don’t know what a family run record label costs to run, I have no idea what your bank accounts look like.”

“We can afford it, or I wouldn’t have offered,” he leaned further on the table. “Come on, do me a solid and try it out. If you don’t like it, you can quit. No strings attached.”

“I don’t know-”

“$20 an hour,” he cut in. “To start. You can pretty much make your own hours.”

“You do realize I have no experience.”

“Don’t really care,” he shrugged. “Just say yes.”

Bailey looked his face over for a moment and then sighed, draining her glass and putting it down. “Fine.”

“Yeah?” He sat up straight, smiling wide.

“Yeah, alright.”

“Yes!” He pumped one fist into the air and then clapped his hands together once. 

“That was…the most Dad thing I’ve ever seen you do,” Sophia laughed, dipping her head before looking back up at him.

“When you’re excited, you’re excited…” he trailed off, pulling his phone out of his pocket when it dinged a few times. He looked down at it and smiled a little, typing something out and then shutting it off and shoving it back in his pocket.

“That looked like a welcome text,” she grinned.

“Just this girl…buddy of mine insisted on giving us each others information. His words were something along the lines of, perfect for each other. I’m not convinced, but we’ve been texting a little here and there.”

Bailey felt her entire stomach drop, her jovial mood washing away quicker than she thought possible. She didn’t like him, she was sure of it, so why did the thought of this perfect-for-him stranger make her feel a little bit sick inside? 

She signaled the waitress as she walked by and asked for another margarita, Taylor asking for another beer. Five was probably one too many, but suddenly she felt it was necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so THRILLED with all the Tayley love happening, y'all don't even know. I was worried people wouldn't be into them as a pairing and now I'm just so excited for the rest of this fic to play out! Sorry for rapid chapter posting this week, I'm on edge to get to a specific chapter, and...like we've established...no chill. Keep the thoughts coming, I am LIVING for them. <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Sophia**

“So how was it?”

It had been two days since Bailey’s not-date with Taylor and Sophia had barely gotten to see her best friend since. She’d spent the previous day hanging out with Zac and the kids at his house and then went with him to drop them off. By the time they were done, she’d fallen asleep on Zac’s couch, moving to his bed when he woke her around midnight. 

“You know, it was good,” Bailey flopped down on the couch next to Sophia. “Can we please get some wine tonight? I feel like a kid waiting for their first day of school right now. I can’t believe he convinced me to take this job.”

“Okay, I don’t want to talk about _your job_ ,” Sophia laughed, rolling her eyes. “I want to talk about _your date_.”

“Well, as I’ve told you, over and over again,” Bailey looked over at her and rolled her eyes back. “It was not a date. And I’ll tell you how I know for sure.”

Sophia widened her eyes and gave her head a small shake, as if to say, alright, out with it.

“Partway through the night, his phone goes off. So he takes it out and he looks happy as a clam and he sends a text. Come to find out, he’s been set up with some girl who is,” Bailey made finger quotes. “Perfect for him.”

“What?” Sophia shook her head. “He was texting some girl while on a date with you?”

“It was _NOT_ a date,” Bailey huffed. “For God’s sake what is wrong with you? You’re turning into your boyfriend, and to be quite frank, I’m not a fan.”

Sophia laughed, nudging Bailey with her shoulder. 

“Come on, I just think it would be…cute,” Sophia shrugged. “You two are a good match, and I’m telling you, he’s into you. He probably thinks you’re not and so he’s texting this girl.”

“Well, I’m not,” Bailey rolled her eyes. 

“Bullshit,” Sophia laughed. “I think you forget that I know you pretty well.”

“Yeah, well,” Bailey looked over at her friend and then grinned a little. “Alright, maybe I’m a _little_ into him. I mean, have you _looked_ at him? He’s…” she groaned, leaning into Sophia. “I can not crush on this guy. It’s a bad idea for so many reasons.”

“Like what? I don’t really see any, if I’m honest.”

“Well, for one,” Bailey held up a finger. “He’s not even really divorced yet. For two,” she held up another. “He’s practically your brother in law, and that just seems bad for all of us, I mean…what if something were to happen and you had to take sides? It’s just-”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Sophia laughed. “None of that matters. He _is_ getting divorced. And you dating isn’t going to effect anything with me, or Zac for that matter.”

“Okay, how about this then? He is _my boss_ now.”

“Who cares? You didn’t even want the job. I assume you’re just going to keep it until you figure something else out. He said no strings, right?”

“I mean,” Bailey sighed. “Yeah. But, lets be real. I’m probably not going to find anything else at that pay around here.”

“I still can’t believe he’s paying you that much. He’s going to catch hell for that.”

“I don’t understand it either, it makes no sense. I have no exper-”

“He just wants you near him, Jesus Christ, Bailey!” Sophia slapped her thigh and laughed. “You really are being overly dense about this whole thing. He obviously just wants you around.”

“It makes no sense,” Bailey repeated. “Why me?”

“If you don’t think I’ve asked myself that same question about me, oh, I don’t know…a million times, you are sorely mistaken. Sometimes it just is what it is.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it? He’s got his perfect match sitting right on his phone,” Bailey shrugged and sat up. “Seriously, can we get some wine?”

“You’re being pretty dramatic,” Sophia laughed and then sighed. “It’s okay, I had my own little brush with dramatics today,” she rolled her eyes at herself.

“What did you do?” Bailey turned to her, a smirk already growing on her face.

“Well, it was weird…the other day we were eating pizza with Taylor and Zac mentioned something about talking to Kate about Taylor and…” she sighed again, shaking her head. “I felt jealous. Like I have the right, you know? I was shocked about them having a conversation, as if I’d spent all this time thinking they didn’t talk, just exchanged the kids silently and went on with their days. Of course they talk. She’s the mother of his-”

“Calm down,” Bailey grabbed Sophia’s wrist and squeezed it a little. “What you’re feeling is totally normal, Sophie. It’s fine. As long as you know that it’s empty envy and there is nothing to _actually_ be jealous of, you’re alright.”

Just then the door opened, Sophia and Bailey both looking over to see Zac slide into the apartment, two brown shopping bags in his arms. Bailey groaned dramatically and Sophia laughed, Zac smiling and rolling his eyes.

“Don’t worry, I’m not staying,” he kicked the door shut behind him, walking over to the living room. He put the bags down on the table and wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m just making a delivery.”

“We don’t want any drugs,” Bailey got up and walked towards the kitchen.

“No drugs here,” Zac replied, sticking his hand in one of the bags. “Just some wine,” he placed it down on the table, Bailey turning on the spot and coming back into the room.

“Wine!? Oh, Zac Hanson, you’re my _hero_!” She grabbed the bottle and practically skipped back into the kitchen. Sophia laughed as she heard her grabbing some glasses down from the cabinet and filling them with ice to chill the warm wine.

“Well, thats different,” Zac grinned, sitting down next to Sophia. “Usually she’s talking about killing me or…whatever, sometimes I stop listening.”

Sophia laughed, leaning up against him. “What are you off to do?”

“Meeting Tay at the studio,” Zac dragged his fingers lightly through Sophia’s hair. “Isaac is busy, but he wants us to clean up that office for Bailey. I feel like for twenty bucks an hour, she can clean the damn thing herself,” he shrugged. “But you know Taylor”

“Speaking of Taylor,” Sophia moved her eyes towards the kitchen and then looked back at Zac. “You know he was texting another girl…on their date?”

“What?” What girl?” 

“I have no idea, she said something about a perfect match…I don’t know, but she’s pretty…I think she’s upset by it. She won’t really admit it, but I think she really likes him and was hoping it was more than…whatever it was.”

“Jesus Christ, Taylor,” Zac rolled his eyes. “I don’t know, I’ll find out. I know he likes her, I can tell. What’s with the two of them?”

“Who knows?” Sophia smiled up at Bailey as she walked back into the room. She accepted the overly full glass of wine from her and then laughed when Sophia exaggeratedly motioned Zac out of her seat.

“I’ll see myself out now,” he grinned, getting up and leaning down to kiss Sophia. “Don’t drink too much of that. Or I’ll have to come back here.”

“Is that so?” Sophia grinned up at him.

“Please,” Bailey said, making a fake gagging sound. “No one wants to hear this.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, perv,” Zac smirked down at her. “I just meant to tuck her in so I know she gets to bed safe.”

“Uh huh,” Bailey rolled her eyes, holding her glass up to her mouth with both hands. 

“Anyway,” Zac bent down and kissed Sophia one more time. “I’m gonna go. You,” he looked at Bailey. “Should call Taylor.”

“For what?” She asked at his retreating back. He pulled the door open and then turned to look at her.

“I dunno, another date, maybe.”

“I hate him,” Bailey groaned as the door swung shut. “I literally can not stand him.”

“You can say it all you want,” Sophia laughed. “But we all know it’s not true.”

*******

**Taylor**

Taylor was lugging boxes from the spare office to the backroom, back and forth, back and forth, wiping sweat from his forehead and looking up at the clock, ready to call Zac and chew him out, when finally he heard the front door open and slam shut, Zac’s footsteps getting closer.

“Would it have killed you to be on time?” Taylor scowled up at him, picking up another box.

“ _You’re_ lecturing _me_ on being on time?” Zac scoffed. “Seriously?”

“I’m just saying. This place is a mess and I’ve already been at it for twenty minutes.”

“Okay, well, we didn’t even need to be doing this, you’re forcing us to do it, so relax.”

“Bailey needs a place to work,” Taylor rolled his eyes, lugging the box higher and walking out of the room.

“Bailey doesn’t even need to be working here!” Zac called at his back, shaking his head. Taylor huffed and deposited the box on top of the last one, walking back into the office.

“And why not? She needs a job, we need some extra help. It’s about time we hired some people. And if I remember correctly, you were all about it when the offer extended to Sophia.”

“I’m just saying, we don’t need to be paying her twenty bucks an hour, Taylor, it’s ridiculous.”

“I wanted her to accept the offer and she wasn’t going to,” Taylor shrugged. He grabbed an empty box and tossed it at Zac. “Put all that shit in here. We’ll put it with the rest. When did this room become a catchall?”

“Why is it so important to you that she work here?” Zac asked, picking up stacks of papers from the desk, God knows how long they’d even been there. “Should we go through this shit? Might be something important in here.”

“I think we’d have come looking for it by now if it were important,” Taylor said, loading his own box up from the second desk. “I don’t know, she needed a job. She doesn’t know anyone here. In case you forgot, she moved from the place she spent her entire life living so Sophia could be here with you.”

“What were you thinking, by the way? The other night?” Zac stopped collecting stacks of paper and turned, looking at Taylor. Taylor lifted an eyebrow at him, waiting. “Texting some other girl on your date with Bailey and just casually telling her about it? Are you an idiot?”

“She asked who texted me,” Taylor shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

“Wow,” Zac laughed. “It has been a millennia since you’ve dated.”

“Hey, you’re not any better than me, you’ve only ever even been with two girls your whole life, and you were with the second one while you were still married to the first. Don’t give me shit, I’m trying here.”

“I’m going to ignore the fact that you just said that,” Zac started shoving things into the box again. “Dude, she likes you, and you’re blowing it already. You haven’t even _started_ yet and you’re blowing it.”

“How do you know she likes me? Did Sophia say something?”

“Yeah, it’s obvious to her, she said. She’s starting to think you’re _both_ morons, though, and honestly? I’m right there with her. Who is this girl, anyway? Tell her sorry but you’re already spoken for and delete her number.”

“But, I’m not spoken for,” Taylor let out a breath and then put the lid on the box he’d been stuffing. “Should I…maybe…I don’t know? Play the field for a bit? I’ve been with Natalie since we were kids, maybe I shouldn’t be-”

“I think you played the field enough while you were with Natalie. And like, no judgement, man, you know my past, but the difference is…what I did, with who I did it with? I don’t regret it and I wouldn’t change it. It got me where I am now,” Zac put the lid on his own box and stacked it on top of Taylor’s. “Don’t let this girl slip away, man. You’ll regret it.”

Taylor looked at Zac for a few seconds and then let out another breath, nodding.

“You’re right,” he said. “I think I’m just worried that if I pursue her, we’ll figure out that we’re not…we don’t match, you know?”

“Well, don’t be a girl about it,” Zac grinned, grabbing another box. “Just go for it, I’m telling you.”

Taylor shook his head, hoisting the boxes up in his arms. “If this backfires on me…” he said, and then just shook his head again and disappeared from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are seriously KILLING me with all the feedback. I honestly think that the amount of comments I get each chapter for this fic is more than I have ever steadily got on ANY fic I've written. You're all literally making my whole life, and I just wanted to thank you. Us writers are like little compliment hoarders and when we're down we roll around in them and y'all are really filling my gratitude bank over here. <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Bailey**

Bailey had been at 3CG for all of twenty minutes when she realized that the reason they needed someone to help with organization was because they had apparently never been taught any. Everything was a mess, random papers strewn all around, no apparent filing system. There were piles of messages stacked up next to the main phone, none of them apparently ever answered.

She spent most of her time following Taylor around, nodding along as he explained their lack of a system to her. 

“Do you think maybe you should…I don’t know…answer some of these?” She motioned to the stack of messages. “They seem to be, uh, really piling up.”

“Yeah,” Taylor drew out the end of the word, rubbing his neck. “No one ever said we’re the best at communication.”

“Well, maybe I can help. I mean, I know that I probably don’t know the answers to all of the reasons people have called, but I could learn them. I have an idea,” She pulled the chair out, sitting down in it and pulling the stack of papers to her. “I’ll put them in piles…you know, by what they’re about,” she picked the top one up and looked at it. “This is about a radio show wanting you all in for an interview, so I’ll put that,” she dropped it at the corner of the desk. “Here. This one,” she picked up another one, reading it. “A store looking to restock your beer,” she looked up at him. “How are you making any money on this beer if you’re ignoring the places who want to sell it?” He shrugged limply. She shook her head and started another pile. “This is beer stuff.” 

It took her over thirty minutes, but she’d managed to create six piles of messages, calling Taylor back over when she was done.

“Okay, now you’re going to go through these. Jot answers down on the bottoms of the pages, and tomorrow I’ll call all these people back.”

“First day and you’re already bossing me around, huh?” Taylor grinned, looking down at the piles.

“Get used to it,” she grinned. Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out of her pocket. “Sophia,” she swiped the text open. “They want to have dinner, with both of us.”

“Sounds good to me,” Taylor tapped the desk. “How about we call it a day?”

“Already?” Bailey looked at her phone again. “It’s only three.”

“Yeah well, the perks of being the boss are that you can make your own hours.”

“Must be nice,” Bailey smiled, pushing the chair back and getting up. “Seriously, though, I want to see answers on all these,” she waved over the piles of paper. “Tomorrow. Or I quit.”

*******

**Sophia**

Sophia yawned, leaning her head on Zac’s shoulder in the booth at the restaurant where Taylor and Bailey were supposed to meet them thirty minutes ago.

“Maybe they are meant for each other,” Sophia said. “Perpetually late.”

“Maybe two chronically late people will cancel each other out and they’ll start being on time,” Zac kissed Sophia’s temple and then squeezed her knee. “You’re exhausted, maybe this was a bad idea.”

“No, oh no,” Sophia shook her head, sitting back up. “No, we’re getting to the bottom of this thing with them. Tonight.”

“You’re such a meddler,” Zac laughed. “It’s adorable.”

Bailey and Taylor came breezing into the booth, both smiling over at Zac and Sophia.

“Did you come here together?” Sophia raised an eyebrow across the table.

“Nah, we met in the parking lot,” Taylor said, shaking his hair away from his face. “Good timing.”

“Late timing,” Zac said, pushing a beer across the table at Taylor. “Ordered you this. A half an hour ago. I’m sure it’ll be delicious.”

Sophia grinned, motioning towards the half melted margarita sitting in front of Bailey. Bailey rolled her eyes, picking up the glass and taking a sip.

“Delicious,” she said passionately, all of them laughing.

 

 

“Okay, so,” Sophia slapped her hand on the table. They’d consumed a few more rounds of drinks and eaten, and were getting ready to finish up, and she wasn’t going to let Taylor off the hook. “What’s up with the girl, Taylor? The one you’ve been texting?”

“Jeez,” Taylor shook his head, draining his beer into his mouth. “Word spreads fast in this crowd.”

“Inquiring minds want to know,” Sophia shrugged, leaning back against the booth.

“Well,” Taylor looked at her. “If you must know, we’re not talking anymore.”

“You’re not?” Bailey asked and then Sophia grinned, watched as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

“No,” Taylor shrugged. “I, uh…guess I just…I-” he groaned. “Can we talk about something else?”

“I got all of the information I needed,” Sophia smiled, sliding out of the booth. “We can go now.”

They all moved out into the parking lot, Zac wrapping his arm around Sophia’s shoulders.

“I’m stealing this one for the night,” he looked at Bailey, smiling. “You can have her back tomorrow.”

“Finally, some peace and quiet,” Bailey grinned. “Don’t call, don’t write, I’ll be very busy…doing nothing.”

“See you at the office? Like, noon?” Zac turned to Taylor.

“Noon sounds good,” Taylor nodded.

“So, really I’ll see you around one?”

“If you’re lucky,” Taylor shrugged, turning to Bailey. “I’m gonna head back there now for a couple of hours. Our new employee has left me a task.”

“You’re getting him to do something?” Zac widened his eyes at Bailey. “You really _are_ worth those twenty dollars an hour.”

“I don’t know,” she waved her hand between Zac and Taylor. “What you are paying yourselves, but if the eight thousand messages I have to answer tomorrow are any indication, you should be getting less.”

“I knew hiring you was a bad idea,” Zac laughed. “I need to go now, I’m taking my girlfriend and not speaking to the rest of you until tomorrow.”

“Thank God for small favors,” Bailey snorted, wiggling her fingers at them in a goodbye and walking towards her car.

 

 

“Are you _sure_ you can’t just move in here?” 

Zac and Sophia were laying in bed, a movie playing on the TV that neither of them were paying any attention to at all.

“I’m sure,” she laughed. “Soon enough.”

“No,” he mock whined. “ _Not_ soon enough. You’re torturing me. On purpose.”

“I have to have some fun,” she grinned, rolling over onto her side. “Now, be quiet, I need to get my beauty rest.”

“Nah, you don’t,” he snuggled up behind her, burying his face in her hair. “But, are you _really_ sure you can’t-”

“Shhhhh,” she laughed. “Every time you ask, I’m adding a month.”

*******

**Taylor**

Taylor stared down at his phone, iMessage pulled up, Bailey’s texts open. He’d never had such a hard time constructing a message in his life, and he was just about to give up when Zac’s words floated back into his mind.

_How do you feel about breakfast?_

A couple of seconds went by and Taylor decided that she was asleep. Just as he put his phone down on the nightstand, it lit up, her reply coming through.

_I don’t feel much about it at all, how do you feel about breakfast?_

He laughed, shaking his head.

_Okay how do you feel about breakfast with me? Tomorrow? 11ish next door to the office?”_

_I don’t know, did you finish those messages?_

Taylor laughed, staring down at the screen for a second before typing back.

_Of course I did…couldn’t lose my best employee._

_Then you’re on. See you then._

Taylor sent back a smiley face and then put his phone down. He settled into bed and then smiled to himself, _how’s that for being a girl about it, Zac?_


	8. Chapter 8

**Sophia**

Sophia was roused out of a sleep she hadn’t even meant to fall into by what was apparently a never ending stream of knocks on the door. She hauled herself off the couch, wiping the sleep out of her eyes on her way to the door. She expected to see Zac standing on the other side. Presumably he forgot something and had to run back home from the studio and he’d left the keys in the ignition of his truck in the driveway, so when she pulled the door open and saw what was very decidedly not Zac standing on the porch, it took her a second to react.

“I’m sorry for showing up without calling,” Natalie sniffed. Her eyes were puffy and red, tell tale signs of crying. though, she looked like she’d been doing it a little too hard and a little too long. “I would have...called, but,” she shook her head and covered her eyes with her hands, her breath hitching on a sob. 

Sophia had to physically shake herself out of her stupor, taking a couple breaths. She hadn’t spent all that much time around Natalie, but in the time that she had, she’d formed a bit of an opinion of the other woman. She saw her as strong and unshakable and the broken looking girl who was standing in front of her didn’t appear to be either of those things. 

“Come in,” she finally said, ushering Natalie into the house. She shut the door behind them and turned back to Natalie. “Do you want to sit down? Is this about Taylor? I haven’t seen-“

“Yes, please,” Natalie said quietly, walking over to the couch. She dropped down and then looked back up at Sophia, who joined her. “It’s not. About Taylor,” she shook her head. “I know, you know, about his feelings for your friend,” Sophia felt her cheeks heat up a little, but she couldn’t really place why. Whatever was going on between Taylor and Bailey had nothing to do with her. “And it’s okay,” Natalie nodded a couple of times. “It’s not about that,” she suddenly looked up and around the room. “It’s...is Zac here?”

“No, they’re at the studio, they’re working on something. I actually thought you were him, I don’t know when he’ll be back.”

“I think you should call him,” Natalie frowned. “I really think he should come home.”

“What?” Sophia shook her head. “Why? What’s going on?”

“I-“ Natalie took a deep breath and then bent her body forward, putting her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook violently, deep sobs coming out of her. “Oh god.”

“Natalie,” Sophia sighed, placing a soft hand on her back and rubbing softly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Kate,” Natalie said, sitting back up and looking at Sophia, tears streaming down her face. “She had an accident...she didn’t...they couldn’t...Sophia, Kate’s dead.”

Suddenly everything was very quiet, but so incredibly loud. The inside of Sophia’s head was screaming, as if she was standing on the tracks inside of a train station, loud horns blaring around her. Kate. Dead. She heard the words, but they didn’t make sense. Kate couldn’t be dead, they’d just seen her...when was it? Surely not long enough for something as large and important as life to have changed. 

As quickly as everything had gone foggy, everything snapped back to normal, Natalie’s quiet crying and the pounding of Sophia’s heart filling up her ears. 

“I’m sorry, Natalie,” Sophia said quietly. “I know she’s your best friend.”

It felt like an empty statement, like it meant nothing at all coming from her, the woman who had taken Kate’s husband from her. It all felt wrong, Natalie mourning the loss of her best friend on the couch of her ex husband at the side of his girlfriend. 

“Um, I’ll...I’ll call Zac. I’ll tell him to come home,” Sophia said, finally looking at Natalie again. “I’ll tell him I need him for something, just...can you...please, let me be the one to tell him?”

“Can I stay?” Natalie asked quietly. “You can tell him, but please, can I stay?”

“Of course,” Sophia nodded, leaning forward and grabbing her phone from the table. “Stay as long as you’d like.” She turned the phone screen on and clicked into her favorites, her finger hovering over Zac’s name. “I’ll just…” she said, standing up. “I’ll just go call him. I’ll have Taylor come too.”

Sophia walked into the kitchen and leaned up against the counter taking a few deep breaths. She had no idea how to deal with this situation, she wasn’t even sure it was appropriate for her to be dealing with it. All she knew was that whatever happened to Kate was going to effect the man that she loved, and she needed to pull herself together and be the one to break the news. She clicked on his name and put the phone to her ear, almost sure he wasn’t going to pick up, but after what felt like a hundred rings, he finally said her name into the phone. 

“Hey,” she sighed, relief that he’d answered washing over her. “You okay?”

“Course I’m okay,” his voice came through, light and airy. “We just finished two songs, this is probably the best studio day we’ve had in years. Why? You okay?”

“Zac, I need you to come home,” she said quietly. “Now. You need to come home now...and you need to bring Taylor with you.”

“What? Babe, I told you it would probably be a long-“

“Please,” she closed her eyes at the crack in her voice. She didn’t want to tell him over the phone. “Just come home. Right now.”

He was quiet for a minute and then he said okay, telling her they’d be right there. They hung up and she grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge and walked back to the living room. She handed a bottle to Natalie and then sat down next to her. 

“The guys are coming,” she spoke softly. “They’ll be here soon.”

Natalie nodded, looking down at her knees. Sophia found herself wishing there was something, anything she could do to help her, but she knew there wasn’t. What could she say to make Natalie feel any better? Sorry about my boyfriends ex-wife? Sorry for all the pain I’ve caused between them, here’s a little more? She suddenly felt very aware that she was sitting in Kate’s old living room on Kate’s old couch, surrounded by Kate’s old walls in what was once Kate’s house. She’d never felt foreign in Zac’s home before, but suddenly the feeling was almost too much for her. 

And then Natalie started talking. She told Sophia quietly what had happened. Kate had just dropped the kids off - and thank god for that - with Natalie and was going out to run some errands. She was crossing an intersection and someone coming the other way blew a stop sign, crashing directly into her drivers side door and throwing her car into the lane of oncoming traffic. She’d been hit again on the other side, the car practically squished in two. From what Natalie had gathered, it happened fast, they said she hadn’t suffered. 

By the time Natalie was done speaking they were both crying, Sophia reaching out for her, her arm around Natalie’s shoulders, rubbing Natalie’s arm lightly. She heard the door open and she turned in time to watch the smiles vanish off of Zac and Taylor’s faces, quickly replaced by pure worry. 

“What’s going on?” And “what happened?” Echoed through the room, Sophia standing quickly and walking to Zac, turning away in time to see Taylor kneel down in front of Natalie and put his hands on her arms. 

Sophia crashed into Zac, wrapping her arms around him tightly and burying her face in his chest. He smelled a little bit like sweat, the way he always did after a particularly energized studio session, but she didn’t care. 

“Hey, what’s going on?” He said quietly into her hair. She could hair Taylor murmuring to Natalie just as softly across the room, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. 

“Can we go in the kitchen?” Sophia asked, moving back from him a little and taking his hand. “Please?”

He nodded and lead her into the other room, sitting her down on a stool. 

“Please sit down,” she whispered, hot tears clouding her eyes again. 

“Sophia, you’re fucking scaring me,” his voice was uneven and low, full of hesitation, as he sat down next to her. 

She nodded quickly. “I know, I’m sorry,” she breathed. “I just. I have to tell you, and I don’t know how,” she shook her head then, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry.”

“Did something happen to Natalie? The kids?” He put his hands on her wrists, closing his fingers lightly around them. “Soph, tell me.”

“It’s Kate,” Sophia felt her forehead crumple up and she sniffed, fighting against the tears. “She was...she was driving and there was an accident and-“

“What?” He whispered. He stood quickly, his stool falling over behind him. “Where is she? Is she okay? Were the kids with her?” He moved to leave the room but Sophia stood and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back to her. 

“She didn’t make it,” she choked out. “She didn’t make it and I’m really sorry.”

His whole body stiffened in front of her and he just stared down at her blankly. She couldn’t read what was happening inside his head and it was filling her with the closest thing to terror she’d ever felt. She could always read him, even in their worst times, and this felt different, alien. They stood like that for a long time and then Sophia tightened her hold on his wrist. 

“Zac,” she said quietly. “Say something.”

He shook his head slowly, still staring down at her, his face still stoic and hard. 

“Kate’s dead?” He finally said, his voice full of gravel. Sophia just nodded, the tears finally winning their fight against her. “Dead.” He repeated, but it wasn’t a question. They stood for another second and then he lightly pulled his wrist from her grip. “I need...I-“ he walked towards the door that lead back to the living room. “I think I need a minute.” Sophia watched him go, seconds later the slamming of the front door making her jump a little. 

She looked around the kitchen and suddenly it was like there was too much trauma there in the room with her. She could see herself, years ago, in the spot she was standing, falling to the floor with grief over her own loss. She’d thought they’d escaped it, the never ending shadow following them around, pouring sadness and hurt into their lives, but it was clear to her then that she was wrong. And she wasn’t sure they ever would.

*******

********

**Bailey**

There was never traffic in this god forsaken city, but of course on the one day that Bailey really just needed to get somewhere, she was stuck behind every Sunday driver that Tulsa had to offer. She’d lost count of the amount of times she’d dropped the f bomb and her middle finger was getting a great workout.

She wasn’t even sure what she was rushing to. All she knew was that Sophia had sent her a text, the only words in it ‘I need you. Now. At Zac’s.’ And then failed to answer her ten follow up calls and half a dozen texts. For all Bailey knew, the house was on fire and Sophia couldn’t get out. Why she’d call Bailey instead of the fire department, she didn’t know, but it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. 

When she finally pulled into Zac’s driveway - and was relieved not to see any fire - and got out of the car, she saw him sitting in his truck, his forehead pressed against the steering wheel. She thought of walking over and knocking on the window, but Sophia was more important and Sophia appeared to be inside, so she took the porch steps two at a time and let herself into the house, surprised to see Taylor sitting on the couch, Natalie wrapped up in his arms, sobbing into his chest. 

He looked up at her and frowned, mouthed that he’d explain later, and cooed some soothing words into Natalie’s ear. Bailey looked at him and mouthed ‘Sophia?’ And he pointed towards the kitchen, giving her a small, sad smile. 

The sight of Sophia sitting on the kitchen floor, legs criss crossed, head in her hands, stopped Bailey in her tracks. She walked around her and dropped to her knees, taking her wrists in her hands. 

“Sophie, what’s-“

When Sophia looked up at her it looked like she’d just gotten the news that her parents had died all over again. Her face was red and blotchy, her eyes swollen. There were tears dripping off of her skin. 

“What the fuck did he do?” Bailey whispered, not able to stop herself. “I’ll kill him, Sophia, I swear that I’ll go out there and-“

“Kate’s dead,” Sophia blurted out, dipping her head back down. “I can’t believe how many times I’ve had to say that today. But, it’s true. Kate’s dead, and I think I’m gonna lose him.”

“What?” Bailey breathed. “Okay, wait. Kate...my god,” she let out another breath and then dropped from her knees to sitting on the floor in front of Sophia. “You’re not gonna lose him, Sophia,” she knew there were more pressing matters,  but to her the most pressing was sitting in front of her, broken and afraid, and that put her at the top of Bailey’s list. 

Sophia didn’t say anything, just shook her head. Bailey had no idea how to deal with this, so she said the only thing she knew to say. 

“You’re upset, but you’re being irrational. This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

Sophia stilled for a second and then nodded, looking back up at Bailey. 

“I know, I’m just going back in time, you know? Every bad thing that’s ever happened has always been the end for us.”

“But it hasn’t,” Bailey moved her hands to Sophia’s shoulders. “Cause you’re here. Is he okay?”

“No?” Sophia shrugged. “How could he be okay?”

“I’m sorry, Sophie,” Bailey frowned. “You’ll get through this, and he’ll get through this, and you’ll do it together. You just have to be there for him.”

Sophia nodded, and then looked behind her before looking back at Bailey. 

“They still out there?”

“Yeah. Natalie looks torn up.”

“She’s her best friend,” Sophia frowned. “She lost her husband and now her best friend, and I’m whining,” she scoffed. “Why do you guys put up with me?”

Bailey laughed quietly, pushing herself off the floor and holding a hand out to Sophia. 

“Haven’t figured it out yet,” she said, pulling Sophia up. “Go outside. Talk to Zac.”

Sophia nodded again, grabbing Bailey’s hand and squeezing lightly before letting go. They walked out of the kitchen, going separate ways, Sophia out to Zac and Bailey to where Taylor and Natalie were sitting. 

“I’m really sorry, Natalie,” Bailey gave her a small, sad smile. “If you need anything...you know.”

“Thanks,” Natalie sniffed and nodded up at Bailey. Taylor smiled at her and then looked back at Natalie. 

“Do you need me to drive you home? Where are the kids?”

“They’re all at your moms...all eleven of them,” Natalie let out a small laugh. “That woman is a saint.”

“That she is,” Taylor smiled. 

“I’m okay to drive, I’m just going to go home and...I don’t know? Sit there? Go to sleep and maybe wake up and this will all be a bad dream?”

“You sure, Nat? It’s no trouble,” Taylor’s voice was low and caring and Bailey smiled to herself. She liked this side of him, the nurturing, soft side. 

“Yeah,” she smiled, standing up and fighting her clothes. “Thank you, Tay, really.”

“Of course,” he said, standing with her and walking her to the door. He pulled it open and they said goodbye, Natalie and Bailey waving at each other, and then he shut it, turning back around and looking at Bailey. “How’s Sophia? They’re in the truck.”

“She’s...paranoid that this is going to rip them apart. But, that’ll go away. She’s just...she’s in her head a lot.”

“I get it,” Taylor said, walking towards her and lightly taking her arm. He walked them to the couch and pulled her down with him, wrapping her in a hug. “You’re a good friend to her.”

“I love her,” Bailey shrugged against his body. “I never had a sister, but Sophia...she is my sister.”

“They’ve been through a lot,” Taylor said, pulling back. “This’ll be no different.”

“That’s what I told her, she’ll figure it out.”

“Look, Bailey,” he said, flipping his hair back. “I’ve really been trying not to, but…”

The door opened and they both looked towards it, Sophia and Zac coming into the room hand in hand. They both looked like they’d been through the ringer, and Bailey’s heart ached looking at them. 

“You alright?” Taylor stood up, walking towards them. 

“I will be,” Zac smiled down at Sophia and Bailey saw him squeeze her hand. 

“I’m gonna stay here tonight,” Sophia said to Bailey, letting go of Zac’s hand and walking over to her. “Thank you...for coming.” She hugged her tightly and then let go, moving back to Zac’s side and taking his hand. “I’m gonna get him upstairs. I think we need a little time.”

“Of course,” Taylor nodded. “I’ll make sure this one gets home,” he motioned to Bailey. “And if you guys need anything, call.”

Taylor and Bailey moved for the door but Zac’s voice stopped them.

“Tay,” they turned, Sophia and Zac were at the bottom of the stairs. “The kids?”

“Don’t worry about it tonight, they don’t know anything, they think they’re having a sleepover at grandmas. We’ve got it under control.”

Zac nodded and then looked back at Sophia. She smiled at him and then held a hand up to Bailey and Taylor before walking up the stairs with him. 

Bailey and Taylor walked outside, Taylor stopping next to Bailey’s car. 

“Are you okay?” Bailey looked up at him, tilting her head. 

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I’m alright. It’s a shock, but...I’m okay for now.” 

She nodded and looked down at the dirt driveway, not really sure what to say. 

“What’re you going to do now?” He asked, pulling her door open for her. 

“I guess nothing,” she shrugged. “We were supposed to have a Grey’s marathon tonight, but I think she’s way more needed here.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I’d say so.”

“Do you wanna, maybe come over and watch a movie? I have two whole bottles of your finest ten dollar wine chilling in the fridge and now there’s only me to drink them.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “That sounds good to me. But, I’m not marathoning Grey’s.”

She laughed and shook her head, getting into her car. “You’re missing out.”

“Meet you there?” He turned and walked to his car that Bailey had someone missed when she got there. 

“And Taylor,” she called as he was opening his door. “Maybe you can finish telling me whatever it was you started to in there.”

“Yeah,” he grinned, getting in his own car. “Maybe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DON'T KILL ME.
> 
>  
> 
> This was actually pretty emotional to write, so I hope that came through, and I hope y'all enjoyed it. (That felt weird to write about something like this, but you know what I mean.)


	9. Chapter 9

**Sophia**

The first three days after Kate’s death went by as if they were just one, long, drawn out bad dream. Sophia had seen Zac down before, but she’d never seen him like this. It was like all of the light was sucked out of him, leaving him a dark, desolate shell of who he really was. The first day, she had hunkered down in the bedroom with him, the both of them staying safe underneath the covers, old sitcom reruns playing on the TV. Neither of them were actually watching them, instead Zac was staring blankly at the wall above the TV and Sophia was staring at Zac, nervous and afraid that he was breaking down in front of her.

The second day Sophia rotated between staying under the covers with Zac and tidying up the house, cooking dinners for the week and freezing them, doing his laundry, really anything she could do to make sure things were taken care of.

She never saw him leave the bed, but she never actually saw him sleep, his eyes growing redder with every passing hour, the bags under them darkening considerably as time moved on. 

They didn’t say much, Sophia offering food and water, suggesting a hot shower, going for a run, playing some xbox...anything to get him moving at the least and at the best, talking to her. But, he refused all of it, telling her she could go home, he’d be fine. Instead, she snuggled up beside him in the bed and laid her head on his shoulder.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered, stroking his hair. “I’m here for as long as you need me.” She was sure that tomorrow would come and he’d get up, get in the shower, and they’d learn how to navigate this together.

Except when the third day rolled around, none of that happened. He stayed in the bed, shaking his head lightly when Sophia invited him to shower with her, shaking it more forcefully when she suggested he get up and eat something, staring blankly at her when she begged him to just please, say anything at all, just so she could hear his voice.

She gave him some space, spending most of her time in the living room flipping through the channels mindlessly and dozing on and off throughout the day. When she finally climbed into bed with him around two in the morning, he turned to her and gave her a tiny smile, one you’d almost miss if you weren’t looking for it so hard, and she physically felt hope bloom inside of her.

And then on the fourth day it got worse.

They were set to meet Kate’s mother at the funeral home to assist her in taking care of the arrangements. Kate had never made a will, nor had she ever apparently spoken about her wishes with her family. Everyone was confident that Zac would know what to do, because if he didn’t, then who would? And then an hour before their appointment, after Sophia had walked him through showering and getting dressed, making his hair look presentable, they’d called and told him not to come, they didn’t think it was appropriate, and all of the small little progresses they had made that morning fell away in front of Sophia’s eyes.

She was in the kitchen grabbing a can of Mountain Dew to accompany the sandwich she’d just left with Zac when she heard the crash, her feet carrying her up the stairs two at a time, heart thudding inside of her chest. When she walked into the bedroom Zac was standing beside the bed staring at the wall across from him. Sophia’s eyes followed his, taking in the broken plate and the sandwich, both of which looked like they had exploded while she’d been gone.

“Zac,” she stepped towards him, but he recoiled away, putting his hand up in between them. “Zac, come on...talk to me.”

“Inappropriate,” he hissed. “As if we didn’t spend our entire adult lives together, as if I don’t know her better than all of them put together.” Sophia shook her head, trying and failing to come up with something, anything to say to him. “She wasn’t supposed to fucking die,” he spat at her, turning and walking towards the bathroom. “Her dying is fucking inappropriate.”

The bathroom door slammed shut, the walls shaking around her. Sophia lowered herself onto the bed and sighed. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, they were supposed to be in the honeymoon phase, still giddy and overjoyed to be together. She didn’t know how to do this, how to not let it bother her, how to not hurt at his pain. She didn’t know if she was equipped to walk him through this, not without it breaking her too.

But she was determined to try.

The rest of that day and into the next didn’t get any better. Zac all but refused to even look at her, his place in the bed filled up with him again. He started sleeping for more than minutes at a time and Sophia couldn’t help but be thankful for that. Small steps.

*******

**Bailey**

“Heard from Sophia?” Taylor turned his head to look at Bailey from where he was sitting a few feet away from her on the couch.

“A little bit,” Bailey frowned. “Nothings changed...he’s still not saying anything, still just in bed. She’s at a loss for what to do and I don’t even know how to help her.”

Taylor had been spending quite a bit of time with Bailey since Sophia had all but moved into Zac’s for a while, keeping her company, taking Sophia’s place on the couch during Bailey’s long binges of television shows that he had absolutely no interest in. Bailey knew he’d probably rather be anywhere else doing anything besides watching reality TV and watching her eat junk food and drink wine, but she couldn’t help but be thankful for his presence. 

“I can’t even imagine,” Taylor shook his head. “He won’t answer his phone, I haven’t even gotten to talk to him. “

“I guess the best thing we can do is give them space right now, right?” 

“Yeah,” Taylor nodded, standing from the couch. “Probably.” He walked to the kitchen and she heard him rustling around in the fridge. “You don’t have any of that wine left from the other night, do you?”

Bailey snorted, getting up and following him into the other room. 

“No, are you kidding me?”

“How could I ever ask such a dumb question?” He laughed quietly. “What do you think about running to the store? I’ll drive. And pay. And we can watch all the Grey’s Anatomy you want when we get back.”

“Oh,” she put a hand to her heart. “My knight in shining armor.”

 

 

Four episodes of Grey’s and a bottle of wine later, Bailey rolled her head on the couch cushion to look at Taylor. 

“You know,” she said. “You never did tell me that thing...the other day.”

“What thing?” He rolled his head towards her, mirroring her position.

“The thing you started to tell me,” she rolled her eyes. “At Zac’s.”

“Oh,” Taylor grinned. “That.”

“Yeah, that,” she said, rolling her eyes again. “Tell me.”

“Oh, it was just,” he shook his head slightly. “Well, it was, you know...I think that I might have-”

“Oh my God, Taylor,” she laughed quietly. “Just spit it out.”

“I just kind of wanted to tell you that I-” he let out a long breath and then met her eyes again, looking into them for a second before looking down at the space on the couch in between them. She watched him, waiting for him to just say it, but when more seconds ticked by and nothing came she sighed and shook her head.

“Taylor,” she said quietly, his eyes moving back up to hers. She smiled, the smile growing a little bit bigger when he smiled back at her. “You don’t have to say it.”

She moved closer to him on the couch and leaned forward, one hand going gently to his neck, and kissed him.

*******

**Sophia**

The morning of the funeral Sophia eased herself out of bed carefully so as not to wake Zac and got in the shower. She went through the motions of showering quickly and then quietly opened the bathroom door, surprised to see Zac sitting up in bed.

“Hey,” she said quietly, walking over to the dresser and grabbing the dress she’d left on top of it.

“Hey,” his voice was groggy and rough. He rubbed at his eyes and then held an arm out. “Come here.”

She looked at him for a second and then put the dress back down and walked over to the bed. She climbed on and sat next to him, tilting her head to the side.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into him. “I know I’m fucked up right now.”

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “It’s okay.”

“Thank you for doing this with me, I know it has to be hard for you.”

“Of course,” she shook her head, pulling back. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

“I guess I should let go so you can get dressed.”

“Yeah,” she nodded, mourning the loss of his touch the second he dropped his arms from around her. She got up and quickly dressed, walking back to the side of the bed. “You should get dressed, I put your suit over there,” she pointed to the chair in the corner. “Your mom is bringing the kids over any minute now.”

“God,” he sighed, pushing himself out of the bed. “The kids. I’ve been such a shit father.”

“Zac,” she sighed. “You’re going through this too.”

She couldn’t help but internally agree with his words a little bit. She couldn’t imagine what those kids were going through, losing their mother and their father too despondent to even get out of bed long enough to be with them. She didn’t want to think about it too much, she didn’t want to think of him in any negative way, so she shook it off and smiled at him.

“They’ll be happy to be with you.”

“Yeah,” he said, walking over to the chair and picking up his pants. “Me too.”

*******

**Bailey**

“Are you sure I should be going to this?” Bailey looked in the mirror so she could look at Taylor. He was standing a few feet behind her straightening his tie.

“Sophia might need you there,” he looked up, his eyes meeting hers in the glass. “God only knows what Zac is like today.”

“True,” she frowned. “How’s Natalie today? Have you talked to her?”

“Texted her a couple of times, she’s...exactly how you’d expect her to be,” he groaned and then dropped the tie. “This thing is still crooked, isn’t it? This is why I don’t do ties, I just can’t…”

“Stop,” she laughed softly. “It’s okay.”

She walked over to him and fixed his tie quickly, her stomach rolling a little when her fingers brushed up against his skin.

“There,” she said quietly, patting the tie. “Perfect.”

She moved to walk away but he lightly grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” she said, looking up at him.

He pulled her lightly towards him, ducking his head down to kiss her. Her hands landed on the small of his back, his on each side of her face. Bailey could feel every part of her body reacting to Taylor, from her feet all the way up to her head, everything felt a little bit electrified, a little bit bright. 

When he pulled away he smiled down at her, leaving his hands on her face.

“I’m really glad we’re doing this now.”

“Doing...what, kissing?” She laughed. 

“Yes,” he nodded, leaning down and kissing her quickly, dropping his hands from her face. “I’ve never been so glad to be kissing in my life.”

 

The second they walked into the funeral, Bailey’s eyes went straight to Sophia. She was standing next to Zac who was surrounded by his children, his mom standing about a foot away. His face was blank, almost stoney and Bailey couldn’t remember a time she ever remembered seeing him look like that. She tapped Taylor on the arm and motioned towards Zac and Sophia and quickly walked over, wrapping her arms around her friend.

“How are you?” She said quietly into her ear.

Sophia nodded, a sad smile on her face, her eyes flitting to Zac and then back to Bailey.

“Hey, buddy,” Bailey said softly, wrapping Zac in a hug that he halfheartedly returned. “How you doing?”

“Well, I’m alive, that’s more than we can say for-”

“Okay,” Sophia cut in, looking down at the kids and then back up at Zac. She shook her head a little bit and frowned at him. He turned away from her, raising his eyebrows and chin at Taylor as a hello.

“Are you...okay?” Bailey put an arm around Sophia’s shoulders. “Like, you two?”

Sophia just shrugged limply, blinking her eyes a few times. Bailey opened her mouth to say something, and then they were signaled that it was time to get started. She could only hope they’d all get through it in one piece.

*******

**Sophia**

“You walked away! From your children during their mothers _funeral_ , Zac!” Sophia shut the front door a little too hard, wincing when it slammed in it’s frame. “I know you’re hurting, but you have to pull it together. You have to, for them.”

“You don’t know anything,” he said, his fingers working angrily to get his tie undone. “You can’t begin to understand how-”

“I can, don’t tell me that I can’t. I understand, and I’m telling you, you’re going to regret this someday, the way you’re being. Those kids need you and they’re not even here with you, because you’re too busy wallowing. I get it, you’re feeling a lot of guilt. I can see it all over your face. I’m feeling it, too! If you don’t think I’m feeling it…” she trailed off, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes before dropping her hands to her sides. “We have to get through this, Zac.”

“What I have to do is go to bed,” he tossed his tie down on the coffee table and turned for the stairs.

“Bed? Zac, it’s the middle of the day. You can’t hide out in bed forever.”

“Look, Soph,” he stopped halfway up the stairs and turned, one hand on the railing, looking down at her. “I know you’re trying to help me, but you’re not helping. I don’t want to do anything, I don’t want to be awake, I don’t want to talk, I don’t want to breathe. I just want to be left alone.”

“I’m not leaving you alone,” her voice came out strangled. Her throat was dry and her eyes were burning and the thought of walking away from him made her chest clench up in a painful way. “I can’t.”

He looked down at her for a few long seconds and then shook his head. He turned and walked the rest of the way up the stairs, the slamming of the bedroom door finally breaking Sophia’s defenses. She sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands, and let herself cry.


	10. Chapter 10

****

**Bailey**

It had been over  a week since Bailey had taken the initiative to kiss Taylor on the couch, and they’d spent nearly every waking moment together since. The office was shut down while Zac grieved, so neither of them were working, instead they were spending time forcing their favorite movies on each other, Taylor showing off his cooking prowess to Bailey, and just generally getting to know each other.

Usually Taylor would see himself out and drive home around midnight, but the night before they must have drifted off on the couch during Taylor’s movie choice, because the first thing Bailey processed upon waking up was that her head was on his chest and his arms were wrapped around her. 

She shifted her body a little bit, trying to find a way off the couch without waking him, but his grasp on her just tightened, his sleep clouded voice washing over her. 

“Morning.”

“Morning,” she tilted her head up to look at him and smiled. “I can’t believe we both fit-“

He cut her off with a kiss, his lips pressing softly against hers for a few seconds, and then he kissed her deeper, his hands moving slowly up and down her back, his tongue slipping into her mouth. 

It had been so long since Bailey had allowed herself the time to just enjoy making out with a guy, and every time she’d found herself in this position over the last week she realized that she had missed it. The act of kissing someone new, wanting to keep doing it until she ran out of breath. 

Taylor pulled her a little closer, one hand moving to the side of her face, his thumb caressing her cheek. She couldn’t help the tiny gasp she released into his mouth when she felt his hard on rub up against her. She instantly felt that old familiar feeling run through her and she was torn between wanting him to do it again and thinking she should push him away, excuse herself from the couch and pretend she’d never felt it. 

She moved a little bit, meaning to get more comfortable, but all her action did was cause him to rub up against her again, this time both of them groaning low against each other, Taylor’s fingers grasping her cheek lightly. 

He pulled his face back just enough to look at her, a look of concern washing over his face. 

“Is this okay?”

She studied his face for a second, taking in his blue eyes, the way they looked like they really cared about the way she felt about things, his mouth, a little swollen from kissing her, and she just nodded her head, pulling his face back to hers. 

She wasn’t sure who initiated it, but within seconds they’d moved, Taylor’s body covering Bailey’s, his hips lowering down onto hers as they kissed. It was hesitant at first, but the contact, even through their clothes, had Bailey’s head spinning, and she let out a tiny moan, Taylor groaning against her lips in return. His hips rolled down onto hers a little harder, a little quicker, and then the thought struck Bailey that she was a grown woman and she was laying on the couch with the hottest man she’d ever laid eyes on, dry humping like a couple of teenagers. And it felt damn good. 

She moved her hips up against his, meeting him halfway, helpless to stop the small smile when he whimpered. 

Her hands found their way underneath the hem of his shirt, splaying out over the skin of his back, pushing him down onto her just a little bit. Within a minute they were moving in unison, no longer kissing, Taylor’s forehead pressed up against Bailey’s, the both of them panting. 

All inhibition left the room, Bailey opening her legs a little wider, hooking her foot over Taylor’s leg as he ground down onto her. 

“Bailey.” He kissed her hard, holding his lips on hers for a couple of seconds before pulling back. “I feel a little pathetic but,” he said quietly. “If we keep...I’m...I’m gonna-“

“Me too,” she whispered, her hips jutting up against him again. “It’s okay, me too.”

Taylor’s mouth fell to her shoulder, his lips moving over it, their two bodies writhing together. Taylor’s thrusts against Bailey’s body grew a little bit more frantic, and then she felt it hit her quick and hard, a burning let loose in her body. She was saying his name, meeting his hips with hers as her orgasm rolled through her, Taylor biting down lightly on her shoulder as he came too. 

His body dropped onto hers, the both of them breathing heavily. A minute went by and then Taylor chuckled against her neck. 

“I can’t believe we just...like a couple-“

“Of teenagers,” Bailey said quietly, and then they were both laughing, and then they were laughing and kissing and it was sloppy and a little too toothy, but perfect, if you asked Bailey.

*******

**Sophia**

Sophia opened the bedroom door and flipped the light on. Then she walked over to the windows and ripped the curtains open, moving to the bed and repeating the action with the blankets.

“Okay, it’s time,” she said, shaking her head when Zac glared up at her. “Get up, Zac. Get up and pull yourself together.”

“Sophia-“

“Get. Up.” She repeated, grabbing his arms and pulling him into a sitting position. “Get out of bed, get in the shower, you actually smell _offensive_.” She pulled the blankets the rest of the way off the bed and threw them on the floor. “I know you’re sad. Kate died. It’s terrible and I’m sorry, but you wasting your life in this bed isn’t going to bring her back. It’s not going to change anything. If you can’t get up for me, get up for your kids. They need their dad.”

“Don’t-“

“No!” She didn’t know where she found the strength, but she grabbed his legs, swinging them over the edge of the bed and then grabbed his arms again, pulling his whole body up. “Good, you can still stand,” she said, grabbing the corner of the fitted sheet and ripping it off the bed, discarding it with the other blankets. 

She walked over to the bathroom and went inside, starting the shower. When she came back out he was still standing where she’d left him. 

“Let’s go. If I have to climb in there with you and clean you myself, I’ll do it,” she grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the bathroom, pulling his shirt over his head and dropping it onto the floor. “Do I have to remove your pants too?”

He shook his head, pushing his sweatpants and boxers to the floor and stepping out of them. 

“Come on,” she said, pushing him lightly towards the shower. “Get in.”

“Sophia, I’m tired,” he sighed, moving his hair out of his face. 

“Okay,” she said, grabbing the hem of her shirt and pulling it over her head. She stepped out of her pajama pants and unhooked her bra. She grabbed his hands and pulled him over to the shower, stepping in and pulling him in after her. “We are showering. We are showering and then we’re eating and then we’re going to act like we’re alive, because _we are_ ”

She let the water rush over the both of them for a few seconds and then she grabbed the shampoo, putting a generous amount in her hand. She washed his hair, washed his body, and then moved on to her own while he stood under the hot water rinsing himself off. 

When they were both sufficiently cleaned and rinsed, she reached for the faucet to shut the water off, but he took her arm, turning her around to face him. His eyes moved over her face for a few second and then he licked his lips and cleared his throat. 

“You stayed the whole time,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve been horrible and you stayed.”

“Of course I stayed,” she said, moving her wet hair out of her face. 

“You didn’t have to,” he said, pulling her into him. “You could have left, but you stayed.”

They stood together, Zac’s arms wrapped right around her body, the water raining down on them, and then he pulled his face back, looking at her for a second and then kissing her. 

The feeling of his mouth on hers drew a whimper out of her. She’d missed contact with him and a simple kiss felt like something so much bigger in that moment. They kissed, clutching each other and then Zac picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist, his body pressing her back against the shower wall. 

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he shook his head. “I don’t deserve you.”

And then he was inside her, one arm wrapped as tight as he could get it around her, the other hand pressed firmly against the shower wall. 

He moaned little whimpers with every thrust into her, his movements slow and deliberate, his mouth moving over her shoulder, kissing her face. It took Sophia by surprise when she felt hot tears in her eyes, her breath hitching as she started to cry, her hands moving over Zac’s back, trying to grab on to him, keep him there with her so he couldn’t disappear into himself again. 

They finished in a chorus of ‘I love you’s’ and ‘I’m sorrys,’ Zac wrapping Sophia in a towel when they got out, then doing the same to himself. 

“Take your time up here,” he smiled at her after getting dressed. “I’m gonna go make us some breakfast.”

She smiled at him, walking over and leaning up to kiss him. He smiled down at her, kissing her an extra time before walking out of the room and down the stairs. 

She sat down on the edge of the bed, exhaling in a way she hadn’t in over two weeks. She’d stayed and she’d waited, and he’d come back to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for not killing me.
> 
> I thought we could use a break from the madness, hope this helped. ;)


	11. Chapter 11

****

**Sophia**

Things were good. Great, even. Things were almost back to normal - for twenty four hours, and then the kids came home. Sophia could see the stress of having to answer all of their questions about Kate, about why they hadn’t been with him, about what they’d do now, draining Zac. She could see the hurt growing within him every time one of the kids couldn’t sleep because they were crying over missing their mother.

She tried to help, to fill in and pick up the slack. But, she’d never really been prepared to be a pseudo mother to five kids, she’d thought she’d have time to learn and grow into being a big part of their lives, but this was rapid and instant and no matter the fondness and love she’d begun to grow for them, it was a lot of pressure to make it work, to be sure that nothing they were doing added to the stress each of them were already feeling. 

She started to feel Zac really retreating on the third day. He’d told her he was going to hit the studio, see if Taylor wanted to work on some songs, and he’d been gone about an hour when Sophia called Bailey. Two seconds on the phone told her that Taylor wasn’t at the studio, he was at the house with Bailey, and he’d never even heard from Zac. 

The lie hurt more than whatever it was he was out doing, and when she heard the bedroom door creak open after two in the morning, the smell of whiskey coming into the bedroom with Zac, she’d closed her eyes, not wanting him to know she was awake, not wanting to ask the questions and start the war. 

When it happened again the next night and the night after that, the smell of a distillery becoming ever present on Zac, Sophia found she was at a total loss. She’d assumed almost sole responsibility of the kids, getting them up and ready for school, dropping them off and picking them up, feeding them and bathing them, making sure they were fully taken care of. She was paying bills and cleaning and running a household that didn’t even belong to her, and all she seemed to be getting for it was a shell of the man she’d fallen in love with who had a complete disinterest in every thing - and one - around him.

He’d stopped going to work, the album they were in the middle of making indefinitely put on hold. They hadn’t yet made mention of it to their fans, but Taylor and Isaac had held a meeting and they’d be dropping that news soon. Sophia had tried to talk to Zac, talk him into getting back to work, if nothing else, but he didn’t want to hear it, so she’d dropped the subject, moving on to trying to figure out how to manage the life she’d somehow become saddled with.

She wasn’t proud of it, but in the middle of the night when she couldn’t sleep, Zac laying next to her snoring, in the kind of sleep only a drunk person can accomplish, she found herself cursing Kate. 

It was wrong and it was low, and she knew it, but at the depths of her despair she knew that if Kate were just _here_ none of this would be happening. She couldn’t stop herself from feeling those old familiar feelings of jealousy, either. The question of _why_ her death was hitting Zac so hard always on her mind. She knew, when she was thinking rationally, that it probably had little to do with _Zac and Kate_ and much more to do with the incredible feeling of loss for someone he’d known since he was little more than a child, but when she wasn’t thinking straight, she couldn’t help but wonder if he felt like he’d made a mistake and ended up with the wrong woman.

“Sophie, you know you’ve been the only one for him for years,” Bailey had soothed her one night. They were sitting on Zac’s couch, a fire in the fireplace. Bailey had helped her get the kids to bed, cleaned up the kitchen while she showered, and poured them each generous glasses of wine. “He’s just…he’s going through something, and he’s not doing it right, but what can you do? You’ve done everything you can.”

“Bailey, I’m terrified he’s going to kill himself,” Sophia sighed. “Not, like, intentionally, but…” she shook her head. “He’s not eating, he’s only sleeping because he’s drinking himself to exhaustion. He’s not working, he’s not writing, he’s not doing anything. He’s waking up, drinking, and going to sleep. I don’t even know this man.”

“Have you talked to Taylor? His parents? I know Taylor is worried sick about him, but doesn’t want to get in the way.”

“No,” Sophia frowned. “Maybe I should. I have to do something. I can’t live like this, not for too much longer. It’s making me a horrible person.”

“You have stood by him…not only through this, but for years. You are not a horrible person, you are just…having feelings. Of course you’re having feelings. But, I can assure you of one thing, he’s not thinking he made a mistake. He loves you, Sophia. He’ll come back around.”

But then a week turned into two and two turned into three and Sophia found herself at the end of her rope. The liquor cabinet had started to look a bit more like a liquor store, as if Zac were starting a collection in preparation for the oncoming zombie apocalypse, bottles upon bottles, all varying levels of full piling up inside. 

She’d called Diana, giving her an incredibly abridged version of the situation, and she’d agreed to come gather up the kids and keep them with her for the time being, assuring Sophia that she’d done more than enough and she had bigger fish to fry. She couldn’t help but feel guilty, and only wished that their father was feeling that sense of guilt along with her, but she wasn’t sure he was feeling much of anything at all.

Zac had taken to sitting out in his garage, a bottle of amber colored liquor in his hand, ass placed in a folding lawn chair, simply staring at the wall until the early morning hours. He never even noticed when Sophia would open the door and stick her head in to make sure he was still breathing. It was like Zac’s body was there, but Zac was nowhere to be found, and Sophia had had enough.

She’d tried. She’d dealt with her inner turmoil, she’d given him the space he’d wanted to deal with his. She’d stood next to him and watched him melt away to something unrecognizable, and she’d decided that if he wasn’t going to pull it together, start to live his life again, she’d do it for him.

It was nearing one in the morning and Sophia had been pacing back and forth in the kitchen for a little over a half an hour. She’d called Bailey and let her and Taylor tell her she was doing what she needed to do, and if she needed them to, they’d have her back. 

She felt like a bad friend, she’d barely had any time to think or ask about what was happening between Bailey and Taylor, but judging on the fact that every time she’d spoken to Bailey over the last weeks, Taylor was there with her, Sophia could only assume it was going well. She was happy for them, she knew almost the second she’d seen them interact that something special was happening, she just wished she could be there to watch it grow.

But instead, she found herself moving through the kitchen almost in a haze, loading her arms up with liquor bottles and depositing them by the sink, then returning to the cabinet to do it over again. She felt her eyes widen and heart start beating faster in her chest when the cabinet was cleared of its many bottles and her gaze fell on a small bag at the back of the cabinet. It was a small zip lock bag and it was half full of white powder and she found herself instantly trying to make up excuses for what it could be, anything but what she knew it was. She failed, grabbing it and tossing it down by the sink with the rest of Zac’s vices. 

She grabbed the recycling bin and pulled it over to the sink and started uncapping the bottles, tossing each cap down harder than the last into the bin, a couple of them bouncing right back out and landing on the kitchen floor. She grabbed a bottle and held it upside down over the drain, watching the amber liquid circle down it until it was gone. Zac might not want to listen to her, but she’d get his attention somehow, they couldn’t keep going like this. 

She was five bottles down and halfway through the sixth when the door connecting the garage to the kitchen opened and then swung shut. She didn’t turn, didn’t even stop pouring, the slugging of the liquid pouring out of the bottle the only sound in the dimly lit room until Zac finally crossed half the room, stopping somewhere behind her.

“What the hell are you doing?” 

His words were slurred and he didn’t even need to get any closer, the smell of the whiskey she was pouring into the sink amplified by the smell of it on him. She didn’t answer, still didn’t turn, just dropped the bottle into the bin and picked up the next one, turning it over.

“Sophia, what are you doing?” He repeated, she could feel him get a little bit closer, but she wouldn’t react.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” She asked calmly, shaking the bottle a little, hoping it would speed things up.

“Do you know what those bottles cost?” He moved next to her, looking over the bottles and then down at the bin. “Where are the caps to these? Why are you-”

“The caps are in the trash, exactly where the rest of this is going. This is enough, Zac,” she tossed the bottle into the bin and turned to face him. “You’re drunk. All the time. You smell like you slept in a brewery. You look like you’re dying, you aren’t fulfilling your responsibilities, you aren’t doing _anything_. You’re drinking away your sorrows in the garage day after day, night after night, and I’m tired of watching you do it. I will not watch you kill yourself, Zac.”

“No one asked you to,” he spat back, reaching for one of the bottles. Sophia stepped in front of them, swiping the rest of the bottles into the sink harshly with her arm. One shattered on top of the rest of them, the smell of liquor getting even stronger. She turned the faucet on and turned back to him, shaking her head.

“ _You_ asked me to. You asked me to when you pulled me back here with you, you asked me to when you came back into my life. It was supposed to be different this time, _better _and all it is is worse. I can’t do this anymore Zac,” Sophia turned back to the sink, the small baggie sitting by it catching her eye. She scooped it up and turned back to Zac, waving it in between them. “ _Cocaine_ , Zac!?” She shouted. “It’s not bad enough that you’re drinking yourself stupid, you’re doing coke now, too!?”__

__“No,” he shook his head, reaching for it, but Sophia pulled it away, shaking her head and opening it, dumping it into the sink with the booze. “I…Soph, I’ve never…” he shook his head again, rubbing his face with his hand. “Some guy at the bar…he said…he said it could help me…you know, feel…something, he gave it to me, I-”_ _

__“And you _took_ it? You brought it into this house? With the kids? What is _wrong_ with you?”_ _

__“I’d never do…” his head was still shaking when Sophia turned back away from him, grabbing a bottle from the sink and emptying it out. “You know I’d never do that, I swear. I just put it in the cabinet and then I forgot about it. I’d never…you know I’d never do drugs.”_ _

__“You’re doing a lot of things I thought you’d never do,” Sophia dropped the bottle into the bin and reached for another, but Zac grabbed her wrist lightly, holding it up between them._ _

__“You’re bleeding,” he said quietly, reaching for the paper towels. She pulled her arm out of his grasp and put it under the water._ _

__“Must have cut myself on the glass,” she mumbled. She rinsed her hand and grabbed another bottle and then another one with her other hand, tipping them both over until they were empty. She tossed them into the trash and grabbed the paper towels, scooping the broken glass out of the sink and adding it to the empty bottles. “I can’t do this anymore, Zac,” she sighed. “I won’t. You’re going to stop drinking and you’re going to do it now. Or I’m leaving.”_ _

__“I told you you didn’t have to stay here, you didn’t have to stay with me. You could have gone home, you-”_ _

__“No,” she shook her head, turning the sink off and drying her hands on a paper towel before turning back to him and tossing the towel into the bin. “You, Zac. I’m leaving _you_.”_ _

__“You-” he shook his head again, his hair falling into his face. His eyes were red-rimmed, the bags underneath them stark against the paleness of the rest of his face. “You can’t, we’re finally…you can’t-”_ _

__“What I can’t do is stand this anymore,” she could feel tears fighting to the surface, her voice hitching a little bit. “If you’re ready to stop-” she waved her hand weakly in between them. “All of this and get your shit back together, then I’m here. I’ll do it with you. But, I can’t take another day of this, Zac,” she shook her head. “I can’t.”_ _

__She dropped her eyes to his chest, quiet enveloping both of them. Seconds ticked into a minute and then a minute ticked into two and neither of them spoke. They didn’t move, not away from each other, and not towards one another, they just stood there, two people who thought they could move from all of the hurt and trouble of their past, but were possibly figuring out that their hopes were too high for what reality was willing to give to them._ _

__“I need more time,” he finally said, barely above a whisper. “I don’t know how to-”_ _

__“I don’t know how either,” she cut in, her eyes moving up to his. “You have to decide right now, Zac. Stop drinking, go back to work, be a father, pull it together - now. If you can do that, I’ll stay,” she shook her head, shrugging her shoulders limply. “But, if you can’t…then neither can I.”_ _

__“Soph,” he moved towards her, wrapping his fingers lightly around her elbow. “I can, I just…I just need time, I can’t do it all overnight. I need-”_ _

__“Okay,” she nodded, blinking her eyes a couple of times, trying and failing to not let the tears fall. “Okay, you take your time.”_ _

__She moved out of his grasp and walked to the counter, grabbing her keys and then to the hook on the wall, grabbing her purse. She slung it over her shoulder and looked at him for a second, shaking her head before walking out of the kitchen._ _

__“Where are you going?” He followed her into the living room. She pulled the front door open and looked at him again._ _

__“I’m leaving, Zac,” she looked at him long enough to see him open his mouth to respond and then stepped out of the house, closing the door behind her._ _

__

__

____

*******

**Taylor**

Taylor was stumbling from the bathroom back to Bailey’s bedroom in the dark when he heard the doorknob rattling. He froze where he was standing and looked over at the door, squinting his eyes at the knob. It jiggled a couple more times and then someone smacked the outside of the door harshly, the doorknob stilling.

He walked over, flipping the lock and pulling it open to see Sophia sitting on the ground, her back against the wooden fence that surrounded the porch.

“Sophia,” he said, stepping outside. “What’s wrong?”

“Your brother,” she looked up at him and he sucked in his breath at the tears that were covering her face. She looked like she’d been crying a while, her eyes puffy and her nose pink. “My key got stuck…in the lock…I couldn’t open the door.”

“What did he do? Come on,” he held his hand out and she slipped hers into his, letting him pull her to her feet. “Let’s get you into the house.”

Taylor walked her to the couch and sat her down and then walked to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge, hesitating and then grabbing the half empty bottle of wine and a couple of glasses. He set it all down on the coffee table and then held up a finger to say ‘one second’ before disappearing into the bedroom.

“Bailey,” he climbed onto the bed and moved Bailey’s hair out of her face and then shook her shoulder a little bit. “Babe, you have to get up.”

“What time is it?” She opened one eye and looked up at him.

“Almost three,” he said, leaning down and kissing her lightly on the corner of her mouth. “Sophia just got here. She’s…something happened with Zac.”

Bailey was up and across the room before Taylor could even get another word out. The door was pulled open and she was gone, by the time Taylor made it out to the living room she had both wine glasses filled and an arm wrapped around Sophia’s shoulders.

“Should I just...” Taylor motioned towards the bedroom, looking at each of them.

“No,” Sophia shook her head. “Stay, please.”

Taylor sat down next to Bailey, placing a hand lightly on her knee. He watched as Sophia lifted the wine glass to her mouth and took a few small sips before she placed it back down on the table.

“Sophie, talk to us,” Bailey said softly.

“I can’t stay there anymore,” she sniffed, looking between Taylor and Bailey. “I can’t watch him do this anymore. He’s drunk…all the time, he’s literally drinking himself numb, so he doesn’t have to feel anything. He’s confining himself to the garage, he turned the liquor cabinet into a liquor warehouse,” she sighed and closed her eyes for a second before opening them. “I found…cocaine…in the liquor cabinet”

“What?” Taylor stiffened, fighting the urge to jump off of the couch. He was already calculating how much time it would take him to drive over to Zac’s, give him a stern talking to, maybe rough him up a little bit in only the way an older brother can when their litte brother is being an astronomical moron.

“He said he didn’t do it. He said some guy gave it to him,” Sophia shook her head, wiping at her face. “But it was in the house. _With the kids._ It’s like he’s just not in there, there is nobody home up inside of his head. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“Where is he?” Taylor leaned forward to look at Sophia. 

“He’s at home. I left him standing there, I told him I just couldn’t do it anymore. I just left…and came here.”

“And you’re sure he hasn’t done any…I mean-”

“He said he didn’t,” Sophia shrugged, dropping her forehead to Bailey’s shoulder. “But…I feel like I don’t even know him anymore.”

“I’m sure he hasn’t,” Taylor said, almost believing his own words. “Zac would never. He’d be the last person I’d ever expect to…go there.”

“Yeah,” Sophia said, shrugging weakly again.

“I’ll be back,” Taylor stood up and stretched, squeezing Bailey’s hand and then patting Sophia gently on the shoulder. “I’m going to go talk to my brother.”

They exchanged quiet goodbyes, Bailey smiling sadly at him from the couch, and then he let himself out. The roles were about to reverse for Zac and Taylor, he wasn’t going to let his little brother fuck his entire life up. Not on his watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has turned into an actual emotional rollercoaster to write, I don't even know what it's like to read. Thank you guys for sticking with me and my angsty little heart. I seriously love y'all and your love for this whacky cast of characters. <3 <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Taylor**

The first thing Taylor noticed when he pulled into Zac’s driveway was that part of the fence had fallen over. The second thing he noticed was the reason.

Zac’s truck was idling inches from the fallen fence posts, a tail light out and cracked, the tailgate dented and scratched up. Taylor shut the engine of his car off and swung the door open, hopping out and moving around Zac’s truck. 

Zac was sitting inside, his forehead resting against the steering wheel, the overly loud sounds of Led Zeppelin coming from the speakers. Confident that he was breathing, Taylor lifted his hand and knocked sharply on the window, Zac jumping and looking up at him before turning down the radio.

Taylor had seen Zac in a bad way more than once over their lives, but he’d never seen him look anything like this. His face was pale except for the deep bags under his eyes. His hair looked like it hadn’t been washed or even brushed in weeks. He stared at Taylor for a minute before rolling the window down.

“What are you doing?” Taylor asked, shaking his head. “You hit the fence.”

“I know I hit the fence,” Zac just stared at him.

“Why did you hit the fence?”

“Well, I didn’t hit the fence on purpose, Taylor,” Zac rolled his head, dropping his head back to the steering wheel.

“How long have you been sitting here?”

“A while.”

“What’s a while? Ten minutes? Thirty minutes? An hour?”

“I don’t know, Zac sighed. “Since she left.”

“She’s at home with Bailey,” Taylor said, reaching for the door handle. “Unlock the door.”

“Why?” 

“Because you need a shower and then you need to go over there and apologize to your girlfriend.”

“She threw out all my booze,” Zac said. “Just dumped it down the sink.”

“Probably for the best,” Taylor pulled on the handle again. “Unlock the door.”

“Go away, Taylor.”

Taylor mumbled a few curse words under his breath and then reached inside the open window and jammed his finger into the unlock button. He pulled the door open and grabbed his brothers arm.

“You can get out or I can pull you out. It’ll probably be easier for both of us if you just get out.”

“What is your _problem_?” Zac looked up at Taylor again. His face was blank, but Taylor could hear the beginnings of anger in his voice.

“Honestly, Zac? You’re my problem. You’re seemingly everyones problem right now.”

“What’d I do to you? Go away, Taylor. Go live your happy little life with your new girlfriend, it’s the only thing you care about right now anyway, isn’t it? Just go.”

Zac dropped his head back to the steering wheel and the combination of what he’d said and the act of him not getting out of the truck lit something inside of Taylor on fire. He moved and within seconds he had the truck turned off and Zac out of the it, a hand around his elbow, the other on his back. He walked them both towards the house, kicking the door of the truck closed behind him.

“Get in the house,” he nearly growled, throwing the door of the house open and pushing Zac inside. “Go take a fucking shower. Then you’re getting in my car and you’re coming with me back to Bailey and Sophia’s. And you’re not leaving until you pull yourself out of this bullshit.”

“You can’t hold me hostage,” Zac turned to face Taylor and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Oh yeah? _Watch me_.”

*******

**Sophia**

Sophia had dozed off with her head on Bailey’s shoulder, the faint sounds of Grey Sloan Memorial coming from the TV. She jumped awake at the sound of the door crashing open, banging her head against Bailey’s and waking her up in the process. They both looked towards the door to see Taylor shove Zac’s back lightly to push him into the house. Sophia rubbed her eyes and shook her head, not really sure what she was watching happen.

“Sorry,” Taylor mumbled when he looked up and saw both girls looking in their direction. “Didn’t mean to be so loud about it.”

“What the hell is going on?” Bailey asked, standing up and then looking down at Sophia who shrugged at her friend and then stood up with her. “You look like _shit_ , Zac.”

“Thanks,” he said quietly, his eyes moving from Bailey to Sophia. He frowned and shrugged his shoulders limply, his eyes moving to the arm of the sofa. 

“Zac is staying here until he can get his shit together,” Taylor said, closing the door and crossing the room, his arm sliding around Bailey’s waist. “I hope you don’t mind. I’m staying too. We’re fixing this…all of us, together.”

“Maybe I don’t want him here.”

The words shocked Sophia as they came out of her mouth, but instead of taking them back, she loosely crossed her arms across her chest, a sharp pang ripping through her when Zac looked back up at her, his face nearly crumpled.

Bailey reached over and squeezed Sophia’s hand, smiling softly at her. “Tay’s right, Sophie. This is the best place for him right now.”

“You guys are talking about me as if I’m not here,” Zac said, his forehead knotted up. “I can make my own decisions, I’m not-”

“ _Clearly_ you can not,” Bailey said, dropping Sophia’s hand and moving out of Taylor’s grasp. She walked across the room slowly until she was standing right in front of Zac. “I didn’t come here to babysit you, and I certainly don’t want to be in charge of you, but you’re fucking up your entire life and you’re bringing Sophia down with you. Not again, Zac. Not under my fucking watch.”

Sophia raised an eyebrow, but didn’t move or speak otherwise, she watched her friend grab the arm of the man she loved and march him to her bedroom.

“Go sleep it off. Wake up in the morning and figure out what matters to you, cause right now, it sure as shit doesn’t seem like it’s Sophia.”

It was quiet for a second and then Bailey reemerged from the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She looked at Sophia and then at Taylor and let out a small laugh.

“Why are you both looking at me like you’re surprised?”

“I don’t know,” Sophia said at the same time Taylor breathed out, “you are so _bad ass_.”

For the first time in what felt like a year, Sophia laughed, shaking her head. She looked towards the closed bedroom door and shook her head again, the smile falling off her face. If anyone could beat him back into shape, she knew it was Bailey. 

 

—

 

When Sophia woke up again sunlight was streaming into the living room from the windows. She looked at the clock and sighed, seeing it was after ten in the morning. 

Somewhere around six she’d assured Bailey and Taylor they could go to sleep in their own room, she’d be just fine, and they’d left her on the couch, but not before both exaggeratedly tucking her in and making sure she had all the remotes and her phone. It made her feel a little bit like a child, but she honestly couldn’t complain, their caring making her feel marginally better about the situation she seemed to have landed in. 

She got up and walked over to the bedroom, pausing outside of it to see if she could hear anything from inside. It was quiet, so she pushed the door open lightly, stepping inside and shutting the door behind her. 

Zac was sleeping on his side on the far side of the bed, his mouth just slightly open, hair draped over half of his face. She moved over and slid into the bed, moving close to him before brushing the hair out of his face. His hand came up and grabbed hers lightly before his eyes opened.

“Hey,” she said quietly, turning her hand over in his and lacing their fingers together.

“Hey.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” he whispered, frowning.

“I bet,” she said, squeezing his hand. “You’ll feel better. It’s just gonna take a little bit.”

They were quiet, both of them looking over the others face. They stayed that way for a long time, each of them just taking in the others presence, and then Sophia leaned in and kissed him lightly before backing away again.

“Come back to me,” she said quietly. “Please.”

Zac shut his eyes and let out a breath, his head nodding once, so slightly she almost missed it.

“I’m trying,” he said, squeezing her fingers. “I swear I’m trying.”


	13. Chapter 13

****

**Sophia**

Sophia had known it wouldn’t be easy, but what she hadn’t known was just how hard and heartbreaking it would be.

Zac slept pretty much the entire next day, Sophia staying contentedly in her place next to him in the bed, just to be there when he woke up in case he needed her. 

Bailey and Taylor had tried to draw her out of the bedroom several times with promises of take out and a heavy helping of bad television, but she thought her purpose was served much better if she just stayed right where she was. 

It was nearing midnight when Sophia felt Zac shift beside her, a low groan following his movements. 

“Hey,” she said quietly, putting her book down on the nightstand and turning to him. “You okay?”

He shook his head from side to side, bringing a hand up to his face and rubbing at it.

“What is it?” She asked, moving his hair out of his face.

“I think I’m gonna be sick.”

Sophia watched as he pushed himself into a sitting position and then off of the bed. It didn’t look like he was having an easy time of it and then he was across the room, the bathroom light turning on. She gave him a minute and then followed, frowning when she saw him sitting on the floor, his arm flung across the toilet and his forehead resting on it. She sat down next to him and rubbed his back lightly, reaching over to grab the hand towel from the rack.

“It’s okay,” she said quietly. “You’ll feel better soon.”

She’d spent a considerable amount of time when he’d been sleeping googling what could happen to his body now that he wasn’t drinking. She never really was sure how much he’d been drinking, but judging by the ever changing stock of liquor in the cabinet and the amount of time he was in the garage, she could only assume that it was too much. 

They stayed on the bathroom floor, Zac occasionally dry heaving, Sophia rubbing his back, until he turned his head to look at her, resting the side of it on his arm.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

“I know,” she nodded, moving his hair out of his face. “Why don’t we get you back in bed?”

He nodded, pushing himself off the floor. He moved to the sink and then sighed, resting his hands on the counter.

“Use mine,” Sophia walked over to him and grabbed her toothbrush, knowing what he was looking for. She put toothpaste on it and ran it under the water and then handed it to him. “I’ll meet you out there.”

A few minutes later Zac climbed back into the bed, sitting up next to Sophia. She looked at him and smiled, reaching over to grab his hand.

“Are we going to be okay?” He asked after a few seconds.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I think so. But, I need some things from you in order for that to happen.”

“Anything.”

“I need you to go back to work,” she said, frowning. “As soon as you’re feeling better.”

“Okay.”

“And I need you to be a better father to those kids.”

“I’m going to try, Soph. I know I’ve been-”

“Zac,” she cut in, holding a hand up in front of her. He stopped talking and she put her hand down, her mouth curving downwards. “I need you to be a better father because I’m pregnant.”

*******

**Bailey**

“Do you think she told him yet?” Bailey moved closer to Taylor in the bed, pulling the blanket up around them. She was getting so used to having Taylor there in the house with her that it was actually coming close to scaring her. She wasn’t used to needing anybody and she knew she was getting dangerously close to the point of needing him around and it was slightly terrifying for her.

“You think he’s even woken up long enough for her to?”

“Who knows,” Bailey sighed. “I haven’t heard any movement in the house for a while.”

“I can’t believe she’s pregnant,” Taylor shook his head a little, reaching for Bailey and pulling her closer to him. “All of this and she has to deal with that too.”

“I know,” Bailey frowned. “It’s never easy.”

“I’m glad she told us, just to get it off her chest. I can’t imagine how alone she’s felt,” Taylor wrapped his arm around Bailey, kissing her gently on the forehead.

“You’ve been really good to her,” Bailey snaked her arm around Taylor, running her fingers lightly over his back. 

“She’s family,” Taylor shrugged a shoulder. “I’m still positive those two are going to live happily ever after someday.”

“Yeah,” Bailey smiled a little. “After the world is tired of throwing shit at them over and over again.”

Earlier in the day Sophia had slipped into the living room long enough to ask Bailey and Taylor not to freak out and then to inform them that she was pregnant. She’d taken a couple of tests the week before and was planning on telling Zac as soon as he was in the right shape to hear it. She thought it might help to pull him out of whatever spiral he was in and Bailey couldn’t help but agree. 

It was no secret to Bailey that Zac had been eager to move his and Sophia’s relationship along the expected path. Why he’d want even more children was completely lost on Bailey, but he did, and he wanted them with Sophia. But, Sophia had been so hesitant to do anything more than relocate to lock their relationship down and Bailey couldn’t help but worry that this turn of events was not only not what Sophia wanted but that it was not at all for the best right then. 

“You’re worried,” Taylor said quietly as if reading her thoughts.

“Yeah,” she sighed again. “I just…they’re not ready, you know?”

“Is anyone ever really ready?” Taylor frowned. “I wasn’t. Ever, really,” he laughed quietly. “They’ll figure it out. Zac’s gonna snap out of this. 

“I hope so.”

“So,” Taylor said, drawing out the end of the word a bit. “We probably should have already had this conversation, but…things have been a little crazy…”

“Okay?” Bailey shifted and backed up a little to get a better look at him.

“Are we…” he ran a hand over his face and then looked at her again. “I mean, are we like…wow,” he laughed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done this. Um. Are you seeing anyone else? Like, dating or…”

“I spend all of my time with you,” she laughed, shaking her head. “When would I have time to be dating other people?”

“I just mean…do you _want_ to be dating other people?”

“Do you?”

“Not even a little bit.”

“Well, me either.”

Taylor smiled and pulled Bailey back in closer to him and she winced, feeling those butterflies release inside of her again. She wondered if she’d ever become fully comfortable with the effect that Taylor had on her. She certainly had never experienced it before and she definitely hadn’t been looking for it to happen when she’d met him, but some things you just can’t stop and her rapidly growing feelings for Taylor Hanson was definitely one of those things. 

“So, I think this makes you my girlfriend or something,” he said, burying his face in her neck and laughing softly. “Girlfriend. Never thought I’d be using that word again.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Zac**

Every time Zac opened his eyes he could hear the words again. ‘ _I’m pregnant_ ’ over and over again in Sophia’s voice like some kind of cruel and unusual skipping on a CD that he couldn’t turn off.

This was what he’d wanted. Everything that he’d spent years wanting was in front of him. Sophia was in Tulsa, she was pregnant with his child, they were finally on the path to the life together that Zac had wanted from the minute he’d met her.

Except that Zac didn’t feel like Zac, he wasn’t even sure who he was anymore. He wanted desperately to get back to where he was months ago, but all he could feel was emptiness. 

He knew that no one understood why Kate’s death had hit him so hard, and at first he hadn’t even understood it himself. The last thing he wanted was for Sophia to question his love for her in the face of his grief, and he was sure that she had. It wasn’t that now that Kate was gone he’d realized he had chosen the wrong woman or he’d forgone the love of his life, it was more of a deep seeded, uncontrollable guilt. 

His brain had gone down the path of knowing that if he’d just never come into Kate’s life and ruined it again and again, time after time, she’d be alive then. She’d never have given up her dreams and aspirations for a man who didn’t deserve her - probably never had - and she wouldn’t have been driving on that street that day. Basically as far as Zac was concerned, if it just weren’t for him, his ex wife and the other of his children wouldn’t be dead. 

He knew he had to pull it together, because the woman he loved - the one who was now pregnant with his child, a blessing that couldn’t have come at a worse time, _was_ alive, right there in front of him. And the only thing he wanted was a stiff drink.

*******

**Taylor**

Bailey had taken Sophia to a doctors appointment and Taylor had decided to take it upon himself to clean the house. Sure, he didn’t really live there, but for all intents and purposes he had been doing exactly that. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d gone to his own house for more than a shower or to grab some clothes unless it was his weekend with the kids.

He’d managed to get the entire kitchen and most of the living room clean and just as he was pulling the vacuum cleaner out of the hallway closet, he heard Sophia’s bedroom door open, Zac stepping out of it for the first time since Taylor had deposited him inside of the house. 

“Hey,” Zac didn’t smile, but it was the closest thing to a smile Taylor could hope for. He shuffled through the living room and into the kitchen, pulling the fridge open and peering inside of it.

“How are you feeling?” Taylor pushed the vacuum cleaner into the middle of the living room and then moved into the kitchen. 

“Like shit,” Zac glanced back at him and then back into the fridge. “I need caffeine.”

“There should be some Mountain Dew buried in the back there somewhere,” Taylor gently pushed Zac out of the way and bent down, pushing things on the second shelf around until he found a can of soda. He stood up, closing the fridge and popping the can open before handing it too Zac.

“Thanks,” Zac took a long sip before taking the can away from his face.

“What can I do for you? What do you need?” Taylor didn’t want to sound desperate, but to be fair, he was desperate. He needed Zac to come back to the living and leave behind whatever it was about Kate’s death that was haunting him. 

“Bottle of whiskey,” Zac looked up at Taylor, his face completely blank.

Taylor opened and closed his mouth a few times, imagining he looked something like a fish. And then Zac let out a short laugh and rolled his eyes, lifting his Mountain Dew can back to his mouth.

“Just kidding, man,” he shook his head. “A joint might not be a terrible idea, though.”

“I haven’t smoked a joint in years,” Taylor chuckled lightly, walking over to the couch and sitting down. “Congrats, by the way…about the baby.”

Zac followed him into the living room and sat down at the other end of the couch. “Yeah,” he rubbed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. “God, this was everything I wanted not so long ago.”

“And now?” Taylor turned his whole body so he was facing his brother. “It’s not anymore?”

“No,” Zac shook his head again. “I mean, it is. Of course it is. Just…now is not a good time, you know? I’m barely holding it together for myself…and the kids I already have,” he sighed, letting out a breath. “I don’t want to fuck up another kid, Tay.”

“Dude,” Taylor frowned, shaking his head at Zac. “You’re not…you’re not fucking them up. You’re going through something really terrible and soon you’re going to be okay again. Someday they wont even remember this period of time.”

“You think?” Zac leaned back and turned his head against the back of the couch to look at Taylor.

“I know,” Taylor nodded. “Now come on,” he reached for the remote and clicked the TV on. “Star Wars has to be on one of these hundreds of channels.”

*******

**Sophia**

Sophia followed Bailey into the house and then jumped when Bailey’s hand wrapped around her wrist. She looked up at her and Bailey smiled, motioning towards the living room. Sophia followed what she was smiling at and sucked in a breath, her mouth instantly turning up at the corners.

Taylor and Zac were sitting on the couch, a huge bowl of popcorn in between them and they were laughing. More importantly, _Zac_ was laughing. Full, hysterical, belly laughs. They were talking loudly back and forth, it almost sounded like their own made-up language, but Sophia couldn’t care what they were saying, all she could care about was the picture in front of her…Zac looking like Zac again, expression on his face, the sound of happiness coming from his mouth, his hands clapping in front of him as he cackled. 

Bailey swung the door shut behind them and Zac and Taylor looked over at them as they started walking towards where they were sitting on the couch. Zac’s smile grew wider and Sophia felt her chest tighten and flurries in her stomach and she dropped her bag on the coffee table before moving and sitting down next to Zac on the couch.

“You’re back,” he leaned in and hugged her, kissing her lightly on the cheek before pulling back.

 

“ _You’re_ back?” She repeated, the end of the statement lifting. 

“I think so,” he smiled again, wrapping his arm around her. “I hope so.”

*******

**Bailey**

“How did you do it?” Bailey slid into bed next to Taylor, pulling the covers up around them.

“He came out of his room,” Taylor chugged, turning towards Bailey and pulling her closer to him. “And we sat down and I just…decided to try to keep him out there, and he stayed and then…you saw.”

“Yeah, I saw,” she smiled. “I hope it sticks. She needs this.”

“Yeah, they both do,” he nodded. “I wanted to talk to you about something…don’t freak out.”

“That’s a great way to start a conversation,” she laughed, leaning up and kissing him quickly before backing up again. “Okay, shoot.”

“Well, if all goes well…you know, with the baby and everything, they’re going to have to move in together sooner than they originally planned. I know Sophia doesn’t want to move back into Zac’s place, so they’ll probably move in here.”

“Right,” Bailey nodded. “I’d been thinking about that too. They’ll need to be together, especially in the early days.”

“Then when the lease is up they’ll probably find a bigger place.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I was thinking…when that happens, I mean when Zac moves in here, why don’t you move in with me?”

Bailey felt her heart rate speed up and she blinked a couple of times, shaking her head slowly. She didn’t know what their long term plan was, she was just wrapping her head around the fact that she’d moved to Tulsa and ended up somehow falling for her best friends boyfriends brother, she hadn’t even begun to think about the fact that _they_ also had a future that they might need to plan for. She assumed that Taylor would need his time, what with being newly divorced, she didn’t think he’d even want to broach these kind of topics for a while now.

“Why are you looking at me like I’m crazy?” He laughed.

“Well,” she shook her head. “You…kind of are.”

They both laughed and he leaned in and kissed her, not the quick peck she had given him a few moments ago, but a deeper, more drawn out kiss. The kind that Bailey had learned he was an expert at, the kind that made her feel like a love sick teenager again.

“Maybe I am,” he finally said. “Wouldn’t be the first time someone accused me of that. But, I know this is what I want. I know it’s moving fast, but you can’t live here with a newborn and five other kids. You need space of your own, a place where you can just be…and I figure, I’m kind of ridiculously in love with you, so why shouldn’t that place be with me?”

“You’re…” Bailey blinked a few more times, not sure she heard him correctly. “What?”

“In love. With you,” he grinned. “You don’t have to say it back, not if you’re not ready.”

“I am, I’m ready, and what the fuck, Taylor, I love you too.”

“You’re so romantic,” he laughed, pulling her on top of him. “It’s honestly what drew me to you in the first place.”

Bailey let out a loud peel of laughter, grabbing both sides of his face and kissing him hard.

“Okay, yeah. Let’s do it. Let’s go balls to the wall. I’ll move in with you, and I love you too.”

She leaned down and kissed him again, every nerve ending in her body alight. She had never expected any of this, not in a long time. She’d also never felt this way, and she knew it was fast, but she couldn’t help it. She suddenly understood Sophia all those years ago, falling so quickly and deeply into Zac. 

Without words or sound, hands were exploring and articles of clothing were being shed and then they’d switched positions, Taylor hovering over her, his hair falling in his face. Bailey could feel a low burning spreading through her body and then with a low, gritty sigh, Taylor was inside of her for the first time and she knew that none of the times with anyone before him had ever mattered, this was where she was supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been slower than usual with the updates, y'all! I hope this one made up for it. <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Taylor**

Taylor flung his car door shut and skipped up the steps to the front door of Bailey and Sophia’s house. He let himself in and looked around, not seeing any signs of life.

“Bailey?” He called out, hanging his keys up on the pegs by the door and walking through the living room.

“In here!” Her voice came from her bedroom. He smiled and made his way to the partly closed door and pushed it open, smiling at the image of her pulling her hair up in the mirror.

“Where is everyone?”

“Zac and Sophia went to see the kids,” Bailey smiled at his reflection in the mirror as she wrapped a hair tie around her hair. “They’ve been gone a while.”

“That’s great,” Taylor tossed himself onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard. “I was thinking we could go somewhere too.”

“Oh yeah?” Bailey dropped her arms to her sides and walked to the bed, sitting down on the edge of it. “Where were you thinking?”

Taylor held out the thin envelope he was holding in his hand and motioned for Bailey to take it when she lifted an eyebrow at him. “Come on,” he laughed. “Open it up.”

He watched her as she lifted the flap and stuck her fingers inside and then pulled out the papers inside of it. He watched her eyes scan over the documents and almost let out a laugh when she looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Vegas?”

“Vegas,” he repeated, nodding once. “It’s been chaos around here. Zac’s doing better, they could probably use some time alone, and I know,” he wiggled his eyebrows. “We could use some time alone.”

“You’re taking me to Vegas to have sex with me?” Bailey grinned. “Seems like an expensive lay, but okay.”

“No,” he laughed, taking the papers and envelope out of her hands. He shoved the plane tickets back inside and then tossed it down on the nightstand. “I’m taking you to Vegas to gamble our money away, get way too drunk and _then_ have sex with you. Maybe we’ll see one of those fancy Vegas shows too.” He shrugged noncommittally.

“You’re crazy,” Bailey laughed. She leaned in and kissed him and then pulled back. “But I like it.”

“You better pack,” Taylor patted her on the knee. “We’re leaving in two hours.”

“Crazy,” she repeated, shaking her head and getting off the bed. “This whole family is crazy.”

*******

**Sophia**

“I think that went well,” Zac was sitting in the passenger seat, picking at the skin around his fingernails. It had been a long day, starting with Sophia needing to ease his anxiety at spending the day with his kids.

“It was good,” Sophia smiled over at him as she pulled into the driveway. There were no other cars parked and she wondered where Taylor and Bailey were. “We’re getting there.”

“Thank you.”

“Stop thanking me,” Sophia shut the car off. She turned in her seat and looked at him. “This is what you do when you love someone.”

“I know,” he smiled. “But I’m still thankful.”

“Don’t be such a girl, Zac,” Sophia stuck her tongue out at him and then smiled and opened the car door. 

They walked into the house, confirming that Taylor and Bailey were nowhere to be found. 

“I wonder where they went,” Sophia said, hanging her keys up and tossing her purse on the table. “Bailey didn’t mention anything.”

“Maybe they’re house hunting.”

“They’re just moving into Taylor’s, aren’t they?” Sophia moved into the living room and looked down at the table. “Oh,” she said and picked up a piece of paper that was sitting there. “They’re not house hunting.”

“Where are they?” Zac was next to her and he looked down at the paper written in Bailey’s neat handwriting. “Vegas? What the hell?”

“Nothing ever makes sense with you people,” Sophia sat down on the couch and leaned back, putting a hand to her stomach. The tiny bump that was growing there still felt unreal to her. She had found out she was pregnant late, already a little over four months, and it was as if as soon as she found out her stomach had started growing. 

“At least we’re not boring,” Zac grinned, sitting down next to her. “You could never accuse us of that.”

“True,” she looked over and smiled at him. “Have I told you that I’m happy you’re back?”

He leaned over and put his hand on her stomach right underneath her own. “Me too.”

“Is this what did it?” Her eyes moved down to her stomach and then back up to his. 

“I don’t know,” he shook his head. “Something just flipped. I knew I needed to get my shit together or I was going to lose you…and now this baby, not to mention the kids.” He got quiet for a second and then sighed. “Are you nervous? Because of last time?”

“Every day,” she moved her hand so it was on top of his. 

“It wont happen this time,” he sounded so sure of himself and Sophia let that seep into her. She wanted to be sure too. For the first real time in the entirety of her and Zac’s story she wanted to completely believe they’d have a happy ending, she didn’t want to keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, not anymore.

*******

**Bailey**

Bailey collapsed onto the hotel room bed the second the door had shut behind them. It was only seven at night Vegas time, but flying always took it out of her and she was exhausted. Taylor laid down next to her, propping his head up on his hand.

“No way, no how are we going to sleep. We are in Las Vegas, baby!”

“How do you always have so much energy?” She groaned, turning onto her side so she was facing him. “I feel like I was hit by a bus.”

“Um, yolo?” He shrugged his shoulder and she groaned again.

“Never say that again.”

“Yeah, it felt terrible,” he laughed. “Now let’s go, get up, change your clothes. We’re going to make those slot machines our bitch!”

*******

**Zac**

Sophia was asleep with her head in Zac’s lap and he was scrolling through the channels on the TV. There was nothing to watch and he was bored out of his mind, but he didn’t want to wake her.

The past few months had been terrible for all of them, but things were finally getting back to normal. Despite his assurances to Sophia, instead of spending all of his time feeling lost in the past and guilty about the choices he had made in his life, he had been spending all of his time terrified about the child growing inside of Sophia. He could never forget the look on her face the day they had found out the news about the baby they had almost had and he was consistently nervous throughout every day that something horrible would happen again. But he would die with that information before he ever let Sophia know that he was feeling that way. It was his job to be there for her now, it was his turn to be the strong one.

“What time is it?” He looked down and Sophia was rubbing her eyes. She pushed herself into a sitting position and stretched her arms above her head. “How long have I been sleeping?”

“Few hours, it’s almost midnight.”

“You’ve just been sitting here like this the whole time?”

“Yep,” he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Talked to Taylor, they’re completely wasted, gambling away all their money.”

“They’re not winning anything?” Sophia laughed softly.

“Not a dime.”

“At least they’re having fun.” She yawned, talking through it. “I’ve never been to Vegas.”

“I’ll take you someday,” he said standing up and putting this hand out for her to take it. “But first let’s get you in bed”

“Are you trying to seduce me, Hanson?” She took his hand and stood, yawning again. “Got a thing for pregnant women?”

“Only one pregnant woman,” he laughed, leading her to the bedroom.

He tucked her in and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water and when he came back she was already back asleep, lying on her side with the blanket pulled up to her chin. It dawned on him that, weirdly enough, being there with her was better than Vegas.

*******

**Bailey**

Bailey woke up and the first thing she noticed was that her head was _pounding_. The second thing she noticed was that they hadn’t pulled the curtains closed and the sun was coming up.

It took her a few seconds to remember that they were in Vegas, but nothing else was coming to her. She turned her head and saw Taylor on his stomach, still fully dressed, passed out next to her. 

“Oh God,” she groaned, pushing herself into a sitting position. She was also fully dressed, her shoes still on her feet. She squinted her eyes and looked down at her clothes. They seemed to be covered a thin layer of glitter. She had no idea what was going on.

She slowly pushed herself out of bed and started walking to the bathroom, but stopped when she saw a piece of paper on the table in the corner. She walked over and picked it up, her hand rising to cover her mouth as the words on it sunk in. She read it again and dropped it back onto the table and ran into the bathroom, making it just in time to empty whatever was in her stomach into the toilet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I was suffering from an extreme case of writers block that would only back down to allow me to write [One True Loves](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20008300/chapters/47374924), but I think I'm back to normal now, and the next chapter of this is even already done! Thanks for the patience!! <3


	16. Chapter 16

****

Taylor

There was an earthquake.

It was the only reason Taylor could think of for the way the bed was shaking.

He opened one eye and then the other, Bailey’s face coming into focus.

“I was starting to think you were dead!” She shouted and he winced. There was a jackknife going off inside of his skull and he needed her to lower the volume. “Get up!” He winced again. “Now! Get up now!”

“Can you please,” he groaned, covering his face. “Stop screaming?”

“Taylor Hanson, get the fuck out of this bed right now!” She yanked on his arm, the top half of his body moving off of the bed.

“Jesus,” he said, the rest of his body rolling off the bed and onto the floor. “Why are you torturing me?”

He rolled onto his back and was momentarily relieved that she wasn’t standing there anymore, but he blinked and then she was back, standing over him, throwing something down directly at his face. He groaned again and picked the piece of paper up, closing his eyes. “Whatever I did that you’re mad at me for can we please fight about it later? My head, it’s-”

“WE GOT MARRIED, TAYLOR!” She screamed, his eyes popping open. She wasn’t standing over him anymore, but she didn’t need to be. “We got married,” she repeated, and then she repeated it again. And then two more times, her voice getting louder and louder with each go.

“Bailey,” he moaned, sitting up. She was pacing on the other side of the bed. There was a ridiculous party store costume veil pinned in her slept on hair. He looked down at his own clothes and then back up at her. “Please stop shouting and why are we covered in glitter?”

“Because, Taylor!” She was above him again. She reached down and yanked his arm, forcing him to stand. The taste of stale liquor and the sudden urge to vomit took him over and he pushed past her and walked quickly into the bathroom. He could hear her following him. “We got _fucking married_ , that is why we are covered in _glitter_!” She finished just as he hit his knees in front of the toilet and vomited. “Yeah,” she scoffed. “That was _my_ reaction, too.”

*******

**Sophia**

“Isn’t it like, seven in the morning there?” Sophia asked instead of saying hello when she answered the phone.

“We got fucking married last night,” Bailey hissed into the phone and Sophia pulled it away from her face to look down at the screen. She put it back to her ear.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Us. Me and Taylor. We got married,” Bailey repeated, her voice low.

“Why the fuck would you do that?” Sophia said quickly and then felt guilty. It probably wasn’t the proper response but she didn’t have anything else in her. 

“I don’t _know_ ,” Bailey hissed again. “I don’t even remember it. I woke up to a marriage certificate on the table and a fucking Party City veil in my hair.”

“Jesus Christ, Bailey,” Sophia breathed. Then she couldn’t help herself, she started laughing.

“It’s not funny! Oh my God, Sophia, it _isn’t funny_!”

“It’s kind of funny,” Sophia snorted. “Oh my God, where is Zac? ZAC!” She called through the house. “Zac, you have to hear this shit.”

Zac stepped out of the bedroom, his own phone pressed to his face. His eyes were wide and he was shaking his head. He pulled the phone from his ear and covered it with his other hand.

“Is that Bailey?”

“Yup, is that Taylor?”

“Sure is.”

They looked at each other for a second and then they both burst out laughing again. 

“Bailey, where is Taylor and why are you on the phone with me and he’s on the phone with Zac? Are you sitting in the same room and-”

“I’m outside smoking,” Bailey hissed. Sophia wondered if that tone would just be Bailey’s permanent one now.

“Since when do you smoke?” Sophia scoffed. 

“Since I _woke up married_.”

Sophia laughed again and Bailey groaned. “You’re about as much help to me as Taylor is right now.”

“I’m sorry, you don’t think this is at least a _little_ funny?”

“No!” Bailey groaned again. “Oh my God, Sophie.”

“It’ll be alright,” Sophia had to force herself not to laugh anymore. Would it be alright? Who knew? Zac stepped back into the room, no longer on the phone and Sophia looked over at him and grinned, shrugging her shoulders.

“Taylor just came out here, I have to go. I have to…I don’t know, kill him or something.”

“That seems extreme.”

“Bye, Sophia,” Bailey hissed and the line went dead. Sophia laughed and turned to Zac, sliding her arms around his waist. She looked up at him and grinned.

“I guess what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.”

*******

**Bailey**

Bailey dropped the hand holding her phone to her side as Taylor walked up to her. He frowned and lifted his arms before letting them fall back to his sides with a loud slap.

“Do you want to go home?”

“Didn’t you pay for the room for two nights?”

“Yeah, but-”

“No,” she sighed and shook her head. “Let’s just go back upstairs and order something to eat and…” she shook her head again. “I don’t know, figure this out.”

 

 

They ordered every greasy item on the room service menu and sat across from each other on the bed eating, neither of them saying a word the entire time. Bailey drank the last of her orange juice and put the cup down on the nightstand and then finally sighed and looked up at Taylor.

“I guess we have to figure out how to get it annulled.”

Taylor looked up at her, his face unreadable. He just stared at her for a few moments and then he put his fork down on his plate and leaned back on the bed, his arms holding him up. “What if we didn’t?”

“ _What_?!”

“What if we didn’t get it annulled?” He repeated, shrugging. “What if we just…see how it goes?”

“See how it goes?” She repeated slowly. “You want to stay married and just see how it goes?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I do.”

“I take it back,” she said quietly. “You’re not crazy, you’re certifiably insane.”

“Maybe,” Taylor shrugged again, picking up the plates in between them and putting them on the nightstand. He crawled over to her and lowered the both of them down onto the bed. “But I _am_ crazy about you,” he grinned, kissing her. “I could think of worse people to accidentally marry.”

“Oh my God,” she laughed as he kissed her again. “Totally insane.” He settled in between her legs and kissed her harder, pushing his hips into hers.

“Yeah,” he breathed against her lips. “We can worry about that later, right now I think we should get to consummating this marriage.”

She laughed, tilting her head back and letting his mouth fall to her neck. That part didn’t sound so crazy to her at all.

*******

**Zac**

“Do you think we should get married?”

Sophia paused, her bottle of water halfway to her mouth and looked over at Zac, her eyebrows both high on her forehead. “What?”

“I dunno,” he shrugged. “If they can do it, why not us?”

“Why not us?” She shook her head, capping her bottle and leaning forward to put it down on the coffee table. “You want to get married because Taylor and Bailey did too many tequila shots and got married by an Elvis impersonator?” 

“Wait, was it really an Elvis-”

“That’s not important!” Sophia shook her head. “We aren’t getting married because they did it.”

“I don’t want to get married _because_ they got married,” he sighed, sitting up and leaning towards her. “I want to get married because that’s what we’ve been leading up to for the last hundred years.”

“It has been a hundred years, hasn’t it?” She grinned.

“Let’s get married, Soph,” he reached over and took her hand, turning it over in both of his. “It doesn’t have to be a huge thing, if you don’t want. It can be just us. We don’t even have to _tell_ anyone. Let’s just do it.”

He watched her watching him for what felt like an hour. Every second that went by made him regret saying it more and more, but he _wanted_ it. He’s always wanted it, but things were finally all pointing in the right direction without any hurdles in their way. It _had_ been a hundred years and he knew that if all of the things that had been thrown their way hadn’t torn them apart yet, nothing ever would. 

“Yeah,” she finally said, her small grin turning into a smile. “Okay.” She nodded and let out a small laugh. 

“Okay?” He tilted his head.

“Okay,” she nodded again. She leaned over and kissed him and then let out another small laugh. “Fuck it, let’s get married.”


	17. Chapter 17

****

**Sophia**

Sophia hadn’t really particularly wanted to get married. It hadn’t been a huge priority for her. She’d spent so many years just hoping and praying that her and Zac’s relationship would someday be stable and solitary and _easy_ , that marriage was never at the top of her list, or even on it.

But now? Now that Zac had suggested that they do it - and on her terms, if she chose to put any down - it was _all_ she could think about. 

She found herself looking at bridal magazines on her phone, sneaking those wedding dress shows onto the TV in the middle of the night. She was picturing flowers and dresses and tie colors. Weddings were, to put it mildly, taking up her entire life. 

If she thought rationally about it, she still didn’t want some huge to-do. She’d be much happier getting married in the backyard or in a tiny hall than she would dropping thousands of dollars on the whole princess affair, but it didn’t stop her from drooling over giant cupcake gowns and hundred dollar cakes. Suddenly the _only_ thing she wanted was to become Mrs. Hanson, and she wanted it now.

Bailey and Taylor were on their way back from Vegas and Sophia still wasn’t clear on what was going on with them. The last she’d heard they’d woken up married with no recollection of how they’d ended up that way. It surprised Sophia that Bailey would get herself into a situation like that, she’d always been the sensible one out of them. It also stung a little bit to see how effortless and easy her best friends relationship with a Hanson had been and how quickly it was progressing. 

She wanted to see Bailey happy, she deserved it more than almost anyone else Sophia could think of. It was just that pang of jealousy, the wanting what someone else had, that hit Sophia when she least expected it. The craziest part of the whole thing was that Sophia didn’t even think that the idea of Bailey and Taylor being suddenly married was all that crazy at all.

Sophia had experienced that sudden and intense version of love herself. A million years ago when she’d first met Zac, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that if he’d asked her to marry him just months into their relationship, if all of the roadblocks that had existed in between them weren’t there, she’d have done it. She knew thirty minutes into knowing Zac that he was the one for her, that she’d easily spend the rest of her life with him without even thinking twice about it. 

The fact that Taylor hadn’t actually asked Bailey to marry him, that they’d done it on too much booze and the neon lure of Las Vegas meant almost nothing to Sophia. She could see in them the feelings she had for Zac and there wasn’t really any reason she could thing of - aside from time - that they shouldn’t be together forever. 

Sophia heard the door open and then close and she turned her head from where she was sitting on the couch and smiled. Zac crossed the room and sat down next to her, kissing her on her cheek and slinging his arm around her. If this was how the rest of life was going to be, she’d be very happy indeed to have a wedding and call herself his wife.

*******

**Taylor**

Taylor looked over at Bailey who was snoring lightly, her head resting against the pulled down window shade, headphones covering her ears. The flight wasn’t all that long, but they’d only been in the air for less than five minutes when Bailey fell into a deep sleep. They’d spent the remainder of their time in Vegas drinking and gambling and pretending they were on their honeymoon. Though, Taylor supposed they actually were, if he could convince her once they got home to stay married, that was.

He knew it was crazy. You should remember your wedding, not wake up in a foreign city suddenly married to the person next to you in bed with no recollection on how you ended up that way. They must have drank far more than Taylor ever had in his life because he never forget anything, yet there was no trace of the wedding that, according to the certificate, had happened at the Little Chapel O’Love in Vegas. But somehow, that didn’t stop Taylor from wanting them to stay just as they were now. They were gearing up to move in together, they were in love, they weren’t getting any younger. Why not just go with it?

They hadn’t talked too much more about it in the following two nights they’d spent away, but Bailey had stopped screaming in his face that they were married and needed to annul it, so he was hopeful. Possibly foolish, but hopeful. 

He grabbed his ear buds from where they were laying in his lap and pushed them into his ears. He’d come up with some way to convince her to let them stay just like this over the rest of the flight. He could do it, he was sure of it.

*******

**Sophia**

“Hey,” Sophia opened her eyes to see Bailey standing over where she was laying on the couch. “Scoot over,” Bailey whispered, squeezing in next to her, her forehead pressed up against Sophia’s shoulder and her arm slung over her waist.

“You just getting home?” Sophia whispered, wiggling her body so they could fit better.

“Yeah,” Bailey said quietly. “Taylor went straight to the bedroom, probably already passed out. Why you sleeping out here?”

“Zac was snoring,” Sophia laughed lowly. “Couldn’t take it anymore.”

“How’s the baby?”

“Still in there, still growing,” Sophia yawned, shifting again. Bailey shifted with her, yawning against her arm. “Never mind that. You’re married, Bay.”

“Married,” Bailey whispered back. “That’s me. Suddenly married.”

“I think I might get married too.”

Bailey’s head moved, popping up so she was looking down at Sophia. “What?” Sophia nodded, smiling a little. “Wait,” Bailey said, pushing herself into a sitting position. “You and Zac are going to get married?”

“Yeah,” Sophia nodded, sitting up with Bailey. “I think we are.”

“Whoa,” Bailey blew out and then smiled, shaking her head. “Tell me everything.”

“There isn’t much to tell,” Sophia shrugged. “We were just sitting here, after you…you know, woke up and realized your drunk alter ego got married the night before…and he asked if I thought we should get married too.”

“It happened just like that? Should we get married too?” Bailey lifted an eyebrow. “That was his proposal?”

“I mean,” Sophia looked over at Bailey and shrugged again. “Yeah. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but…” she shook her head and sighed. “I don’t know, it was kind of…nice? For something to be so simple? Everything else we’ve ever done has been so big and dramatic and-” she rubbed a hand over her face. “I didn’t mind that it was just a simple conversation. Something being _simple _for us…just for once,” she shook her head. “You don’t know much much I want that.”__

__It was true. She knew that on the outside, Zac’s sudden idea to get married probably looked lazy and like it lacked thought, but to her, after everything they’d been through, it was almost relieving to have something just come to them simply and without flare. All Sophia wanted at this point was a normal life and to live that life with Zac by her side, without any more disasters thrown at them. She didn’t think it was asking too much, but she was afraid the universe might think that it was._ _

__

__

____

*******

**Taylor**

Taylor walked into the kitchen the next morning to see Bailey and Sophia sitting across from each other at the table, talking over scrambled eggs and orange juice. The knowledge that he was looking at _his wife_ rolled over him all over again. It didn’t matter if it had happened by accident or on purpose, he never thought he’d be able to use the words ‘my wife’ in a sentence again, and now that he could his whole heart was full of the need to spend the rest of his life making sure this time he did it right.

“Hey,” Bailey smiled over at him and he shook himself out of his thoughts and moved to the counter, pouring a cup of coffee out of the full carafe.

“Morning,” he said, moving to the table and sitting down in the chair in between the two girls. “Where’s Zac?”

“The office,” Sophia smiled over at him, holding her fork up. “He woke me up a couple of hours ago and said he was going to go try to work on some stuff.”

“That’s awesome,” he smiled back at her. He knew they’d all get it together eventually, and it looked like they finally were. “I guess I should probably take this to go and meet him over there?”

“Probably,” Bailey pushed her chair back and walked around his side of the table. She bent and placed a light kiss to his cheek and took his mug from him. He watched as she moved back behind the kitchen counter and opened a cabinet. She poured his coffee into a travel mug and topped it off before walking back to him, holding it out. “I was thinking we could start moving my things to your place this weekend.”

“Really?” He stood up and wrapped her in a hug. “I think that’s a great idea.”

“Well, you know,” she looked up at him, grinning. “Since we’re married now and everything. And these two,” she waved at Sophia. “Are about to be married too, I figure it’s time.”

“What?” Taylor looked over at Sophia, who just shrugged a shoulder and smiled up at him. “I go to Vegas for a few days and we all wind up married.” Sophia and Bailey both laughed softly and Taylor shook his head, looking between them. He had no idea what was going on in his life, but he wasn’t complaining. “Jesus,” he breathed, putting both hands on either side of Bailey’s face and pulling it to him to kiss her. “Jesus, we’re all crazy.” He kissed her one more time and then let her go. He grabbed his keys and walked out of the house, still not really sure what was going on, but not hating it. Not hating it at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all. Y'ALL. You may have noticed that the chapters up top there have changed from 17/? to 17/20. We are coming to an end here. I'm emotional. I feel like I've been writing these characters, specifically Zac and Sophia, for two hundred years and they are a deep rooted part of me. So I just wanted to, again, thank each of you who have given me feedback and celebrated this silly little universe with me. Your comments make my whole world. Thanks for taking this journey with me.


	18. Chapter 18

****

**Zac**

It was light a like switch inside of Zac’s head had suddenly flipped into the on position. He’d gone from completely unsure if he would be able to face the coming weeks and months to positive that everything in his life was going to be just fine.

He knew that he had a lot of making up to do where Sophia was concerned, and on top of that he had a lot of making up to do where almost literally everyone else in his life was concerned. He’d let the band down, he’d let their fans down, and he’d totally failed his kids. He knew it wouldn’t happen over night, but he knew that if he could just whip himself into shape, he could bring everything back to where it had been before the worst had happened, maybe he could even make it all _better_. 

Cleaning off and reorganizing his desk at the office wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of getting his shit back together, but he figured it was a start, so that’s where he’d spent the past two hours of his life. He’d thrown away more useless crap than he cared to admit, he never would have pegged himself as a hoarder, but his desk and the draws and shelves surrounding it told a different story. 

He tied up the four trash bags that were overloaded with garbage and picked up two with each hand. He walked through the studio and outside to the dumpster and tossed them in, letting himself back into the studio and walking over to the piano. He ran his fingers over the keys lightly, and slid onto the bench. He could still do this, he knew he could. In fact, he _needed_ to.

*******

**Taylor**

The first thing Taylor noticed when he let himself into the office was the overwhelming scent of furniture polish. The second thing he noticed was the sound of the piano floating out from the back.

He made his way towards the sound, stopping just inside of the room where Zac was sitting behind the piano, a smooth melody coming from it. His eyes were trained on his hands and he was humming along with the sound, his head nodding just slightly. Taylor watched while Zac played, his arms crossed over his chest, just happy to see his brother back where he belonged: making music, even if it was just something he was playing that wouldn’t amount to anything.

When Zac finished playing, Taylor clapped his hands together, moving further into the room, grinning when Zac’s eyes snapped up to him.

“Writing music, I see,” Taylor stopped on the other end of the piano, leaning his palms down on it.

“It’s nothing…probably. It was just rattling around inside of my head while I was cleaning up.”

“Next time go a little lighter on the Pledge,” Taylor grinned again. “It sounded good. Got any lyrics?”

“Nah,” Zac shrugged. “It’s a love song, I think. That’s the idea, at least.”

“It’ll come to you,” Taylor shrugged. “It always does.”

“I was thinking,” Zac leaned back a little bit on the bench. “I think we should reschedule the tour…and finish up what’s left of the album and get it out.”

“Yeah?” Taylor raised an eyebrow. “Are you ready for all of that?”

“Maybe not,” Zac shrugged. “But, we should do it anyway. I’m not ready for anything, not really. But, life goes on.”

“Alright,” Taylor nodded. “I think that’s a great idea.”

“And I want you to be my best man.”

Taylor smiled, nodding his head again. “Doing it right this time, huh?”

“Shut up,” Zac laughed. “It’ll probably be something small. I don’t think Soph wants a…you know, huge wedding. But, I still want you to be my best man.”

“What about what you want?”

“I already had all that, you know?” Taylor nodded as Zac spoke. “The big wedding with all the bells and whistles. It obviously doesn’t make a difference on how happy the marriage is. I’ll do whatever she wants, I just want us to be happy. She deserves it after all this time.”

“You both do,” Taylor said, swiping some dust off of the top of the piano. “You’ve both had it rough, I’m glad you’re getting it together.”

“Me too,” Zac stood and moved from behind the piano. “So what do you think about calling Ike and getting this album done?”

Taylor felt his face transform, his smile growing almost completely off of it. There’d been a while there when he’d thought he’d lost so much…his band, his brother, his best friend, but it was all coming back, all of that and a wife to boot. Things were looking up - for all of them - and he didn’t want to waste a second.

“I think that sounds perfect.”

*******

**Sophia**

“I just don’t think I need some big wedding,” Sophia waved a french fry in between herself and Bailey. “And who are you to even talk? Didn’t you just get married covered in glitter in Sin City?”

“I was obviously not acting myself,” Bailey shook her head. “I would have done it differently had I not drank my weight in alcohol. All I’m saying is that I don’t want you to wake up someday and regret not having that experience. You’ve gone through hell and back to be with this man, and you want to get married…where? In his parents back yard? I just-”

“Honestly, Bay, I’d get married at City Hall if he let me. I don’t _need_ it. I don’t _want_ it. I just want to be married to him already and move on from all of the bullshit.”

“You really love him, huh?” Bailey leaned back on the couch and smiled over at Sophia. 

“Yeah,” Sophia smiled. “I do.”

“Then fine,” Bailey shrugged. “Whatever you want, I want.”

“Good,” Sophia laughed. “It’s settled then.”

The front door creaked open and Sophia looked over to see Taylor and Zac walk in, both of them laughing. She smiled, watching as Zac dropped his keys on the table by the door and shrugged his coat off. Just recently she wasn’t sure she’d ever see him happy again and now just seeing him laugh made her chest constrict. 

“Hey,” he smiled wider, dropping down onto the couch next to her. He leaned in and kissed her and then grabbed one of the fries off her plate. “Guess what?”

“What?” She grinned, watching as he grabbed another fry and shoved it into his mouth.

“We finished the album.”

“What?” She smiled, nearly throwing herself at him. “Zac, that’s great!” 

“And I’m his best man,” Taylor piped up from next to the couch. Sophia looked over at him and lifted an eyebrow.

“Are you?”

“I am,” he puffed out his chest and Sophia laughed. 

“That’s also great, Tay,” she shook her head. 

“And,” Zac cut back in. “We’re working on rescheduling the tour. It’s going to be a quick job. We’ll probably drop the dates in the next couple of weeks, then a few weeks after that we’ll drop the album and then hit the road shortly after that. Then we’ll come home,” he leaned back into her and kissed her again. “And then we’ll get married.”

“And then we’ll get married,” Sophia repeated and then laughed. “Man, if you’d have asked me five years ago if we’d ever do that…”

“I’d have said yes,” Zac shrugged. “I knew we’d get our shit together someday.”

“Did you?” Bailey snorted, getting off of the couch and taking Taylor’s hand. “Cause I wasn’t so sure.”

“You just have to have a little faith,” Zac said to a chorus of groans from everyone else in the room.

“No one else is interested in your fate and destiny bullshit, Zac,” Bailey said, but she was smiling. “Never have been, never will be. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking my _husband_ to bed.”

Sophia watched Bailey and Taylor leave the room, laughing to each other as they went. This was definitely not the life she had imagined for any of them, but everything seemed to be coming up aces now, and she definitely wasn’t going to complain.


	19. Chapter 19

****

Sophia

“I did something,” Bailey announced loudly, swinging the front door closed behind her. Sophia looked up from her place washing dishes behind the sink when Bailey rounded the corner into the kitchen. “I did something and I’m…freaking out.”

“What could you have possibly done? You were only gone for a few hours.”

“Here,” Bailey held out a piece of paper and then waved it at Sophia when she didn’t take it fast enough.

Sophia shut the sink off and grabbed the dish towel to wipe her hands. She grabbed the paper and looked down at it and then back up at Bailey, trying hard not to laugh.

“You changed your name.”

“I changed my name,” Bailey repeated. “I changed my fucking name.”

“Does Taylor know?”

“No!” Bailey shouted, grabbing the paper back. “I did it because I wanted to surprise him with it before they leave for tour tomorrow and now…now I just, I want my name back.”

“I think it’s too late for that,” Sophia laughed, leaning against the counter. She put a hand to her stomach and stretched her back. In the last eight weeks her stomach had started to grow so quickly Sophia was worried that she was housing a sumo wrestler and not a tiny child. Uncomfortable was one word for how she was starting to feel. 

“Why did I do this?” Bailey tossed the paper down onto the counter. 

“Because you’ve been married for two months and it’s about time?” Sophia shook her head. “I mean-”

“I’m not even supposed to _be_ married!”

“But, you are,” Sophia laughed again. “You’re married and you’re obviously going to stay that way. This is good, Bailey.”

They were quiet for a second and then Bailey sighed. “I’m just freaking out.”

“That’s okay,” Sophia shrugged. “I’m freaking out, too.”

“Why are you freaking out?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “They’re about to leave for tour and I just don’t now if Zac is ready. And then when they get back…you know-”

“Then _you’re_ getting married.”

“Right. And I’m not sure…I just, I don’t know Bailey.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Bailey huffed. “You guys have been together for eight hundred years, get married already, Jesus. You’re going to have a _baby_ together soon. Everything is great, Sophie. Stop worrying.”

“How can I not? You know our history.”

“I do,” Bailey nodded. “But it’s just that, history.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I know I’m right,” Bailey nudged Sophia’s shoulder. “You all deserve this, it’s time. Just like, I guess, it was time for me to change my name. Soon we’ll both be Hanson’s.”

Sophia laughed and shook her head. “Because the world needed more of those.

*******

**Taylor**

Five in the morning was not Taylor’s favorite time.

Hell, ten in the morning was not Taylor’s favorite time. But, there he was, at five past five, coffee in one hand, guitar case in the other, standing outside of the studio and shoving things into a truck. 

The last two months since they’d decided to do this had gone by quickly - too quickly for Taylor’s liking. He had a brand new wife here in Tulsa, one who had surprised him with the best parting gift in the world, that she’d taken his name. One that he didn’t want to leave behind so soon. But, they had to do what they had to do and he knew that this was what was right. Their careers were hanging on them doing this correctly after how they’d called it off before.

“Why do you look miserable?” Zac tossed something into the back of the truck and then leaned up against it. “I’m the one who is supposed to look miserable. Isn’t all that shit you drink supposed to make you peppy or something?”

“I think I’m immune by now,” Taylor shrugged, leaning up against the truck next to Zac. “I don’t want to leave Bailey,” he rolled his eyes. “I’m that level of pathetic now, I guess.”

“So, don’t leave her?” Zac shook his head. “I didn’t know why you hadn’t asked her to come with us in the first place. She works _for_ us, it’s not like her boss wont let her have the time off.”

Taylor stared at Zac and then sighed. Somehow the thought of just asking her to join them had never crossed his mind. It hadn’t seemed like something that was possible to him for some reason.

“Are you okay?” Zac shook his head again. “You look like you’ve lost all of your brain power.”

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

“What?”

“I’ll be back, can you finish packing the truck?”

“Where are you going? We’re leaving in two hours.”

“I’ll be right back!” Taylor repeated, turning and jogging to his car.

He made the drive to Bailey’s house in half the time it should take and burst into the house, chuckling a little bit when Bailey and Sophia both jumped in their seats on the sofa.

“Come with me,” he said hurriedly, leaning down towards Bailey, his hands curling over the arm of the couch.

“What?” She looked up at him shaking her head.

“I don’t want to leave you here, I want you to come with me. Come with me on tour. Please?”

“Are you crazy?” Bailey was still shaking her head. 

“No,” Taylor grabbed her face. “I’m not going if you don’t come with me.”

“Jesus,” Sophia laughed. “I guess you have to go with him.”

“Go with you?” Bailey repeated. “I…I would need to pack and-”

“So pack, I’ll be back here in an hour and a half to pick you up. Just…please come with me?”

Bailey turned to Sophia. “Only if you come with me.”

“Me?” Sophia said, laughing. “No way, I’m-

They all looked towards the door as it opened and shut again, Zac stepping into the house. 

“You’re supposed to be packing,” Taylor stood up straight, turning to face Zac. “Who is watching the truck if we’re both here?”

“Isaac showed up,” Zac waved a hand at Taylor. “I realized that I was giving you advice that I should have been giving myself.” He turned to Sophia and grinned. “Will you please come with me on this tour? I’ll be miserable without you for all that time.”

Sophia laughed and stood up from the couch, looking at Bailey. “I guess we’re going on tour.”

*******

**Zac**

The first week on tour went by smoothly. The fans were loving the new music and Zac was, honestly, loving being back at it. There were few things in life that made him feel better than sitting behind his drum kit and doing what he knew he did best. The only thing that made it better was that, for the first time in their entire relationship, every time he looked to the side of the stage, there she was. Smiling and rocking along to the music, throwing him thumbs ups or blowing him kisses. He’d seen her there before, in that exact spot, but now it was different.

They were living the life they should have been living years ago, if only he hadn’t been too afraid to extract himself from a life he had always known he didn’t belong in. There was nothing he could do to change those wasted years or to really make up for them, but he could damn well make sure that the rest of the years of their lives would be spent the right way. Together, the two of them, no drama, no lies, no hurt, just the two of them, the way they should be.

They finished the last song and left the stage before the encore, Zac heading straight for Sophia and wrapping her up in his arms.

“You are _so_ sweaty,” she laughed, crinkling up her nose, but leaning into him anyway. 

“Let’s get married,” he said, leaning in and kissing her.

“We’re already doing that,” she laughed, pushing one hand gently against his chest.

“No, I mean…like, now. As soon as possible. Tomorrow,” she shook his head. “We have a few days off after this. Let’s just do it. I don’t want to wait anymore.”

“You want to get married in-” she shook her head, looking around and then back at him. “I don’t even know _where_ we are.”

“I don’t care,” he laughed. “I don’t care where we are, I just want to be married to you. Like, yesterday.”

“Zac,” Taylor clapped him on the shoulder. “We have to get back out there.”

“Go,” Sophia laughed, pushing him. “Go do your job.”

“Only if you say okay,” Zac grinned. 

“Okay,” she laughed again, nodding her head. “Okay, I’ll marry you in…wherever we are.”

“Yes!” Zac cheered and then pulled her to him and kissed her hard. “Yes,” he said again and let her go, turning and following Taylor and Isaac back out onto the stage.

*******

**Sophia**

Sophia’s head was spinning, but in the best way possible. She hadn’t expected the act of saying some vows and getting married to make her feel anything more for Zac or about the two of them than she already had, but she was wrong. The second the justice of the peace at the city hall in Wherever, New Jersey that they were pronounced them husband and wife it was as if every single tiny piece of the puzzle of her and Zac had fallen into place, finally, after all these years.

“I can’t believe we’re married,” she breathed, her head resting on his chest in the cushy hotel room bed they’d spent the last four hours in. 

“I can,” he turned his head down to look at her. “I always knew I was going to marry you someday.”

“Did you?” She laughed, looking up at him. “It got a little touchy there for a while.”

“Even then,” he shook his head. “I knew. Even in those years that we spent apart, I knew that we’d come back together.”

“I wasn’t as confident,” she said. “There was a point where I thought I’d never see you again.”

“You can laugh at me all you want,” he grinned. “But fate would have never allowed that.”

She did laugh. And then she moved so she was hovering over him, her hair hanging down in between them. “All that predestination and providence shit,” she said quietly, laughing. “I guess it paid off in the end, didn’t it?”

“I’d say,” he smiled up at her and she felt her stomach flip. She was almost sure it wasn’t the baby, it was just him. She wondered if he’d have that effect on her forever or if eventually it would fade. She didn’t think so. “Now you have to stay with me forever,” he slid a hand around the back of her neck and kissed her. “Think you’re up for it?”

“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do,” she leaned down and kissed him back, and she knew it was true. Wherever he was, if that was Tulsa or California or nowhere New Jersey, that was exactly where she’d stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. First of all. I am VERY sad that this story has come to an end. Finishing this last chapter up was such a bittersweet accomplishment for me. I am _obsessed_ with Zac and Sophia after all of this time writing them and I can't believe that I'm closing this chapter, but this is exactly how I saw their story ending so I hope that y'all feel the same way. 
> 
> This fic has consistently gotten some of the best feedback out of anything I have posted on here and I just want each and every one of you to know that I appreciate you like...more than I can say. This story is a serious love of mine and I've loved seeing how much other people also loved it, and there are some of you who have followed this arc along with me who I hope not to lose as readers/commenters because I've grown to literally love you, even if I have no idea who you are, so thankyouthankyouthankyou and I hope this ending was satisfying for you. 
> 
> If you want to yell AT me or WITH me about this, as always, you can find me on tumblr (tragic---love) and I will gladly accept the abuse or love. I hope I can come up with some more characters y'all will love as much as Zac and Sophia and Bailey and Taylor. <3


End file.
